Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-10-18

Daniel Webster kept on his farm in
Marsh6eld from sixty to hundred sheep,
chiefly for their meat His selections
embraced the Southdowns and the Lei
cesters. On one occasion, Mr.. Webster
remarked, how little the great mass of
Americans cared for mutton as food,
while in England the people generally
esteem it the very best of butchers meats
lie SAID he believed one reason to be,
that the English mutton in general was
better than ours. "You may occasions
ally" he remarked, "find good mutton in
Albany, New York and Philadelphia
but in England you find no bad mutton"
A sheep, according to Mr.. Webster,
should never be killed for the table be-
fore il is three years old A lamb, in
deed, may get nearly its full growth at
year and half, or twenty months, and
become very Eat, and this is the age at
which they are usually sold for the sham
bles; but such early mutton is not deli-
cately mixed, the lean with the fat 1t
shrinks in boiling and when cut upon
the table, it fills the dish with 'ohite gravy.
Mutton two years older, though no fatter,
will have a much higher flavor, the
muscles and the fat being mixed, and
when thoroughly cooked win ell the dish
with red gravy
A pound of lean, tender, juicy mutton
can be produced for half the cost of the
same quantity of fat pork that it is in
fnitely healthier food, especially in the
summer season, and those who eat it be.
come more muscular, and can do more
work with greater ease to themselves,
than those who eat fat pork. We know
nothing more delicious than smoked NUT
ton hams, of the Southdown breeds Of
sheep Nenison itself is not superior.
REARING LAMBS FOR THE BUTCHER.
The Essex Mass. Agricultural Society's
transactions for last year, contain a valu-
able statement from Joseph Marshall, of
BoswiCh, on the management of sheep for
the pdrpose of rearing lambs for the
butcher. He keeps them in good plight,
as he finds they will not otherwise beproft-
able. In winter they are fed on clover, or
second crop hay, bean and pea vines, etc.
He is scrupulously attentive 20 the preser-
walton Of their health, by keeping them
in dry places. In winter, they are kept
under an open shed nights, and are never
allowed to be ont in wet storms day or
night He does not even allow their skins
to be wet by washing ihem-preferring to
wash the wool after shesring. He has fol-
lowed this treatment with his sheep for
several years, and has never had an un-
healthy or dirty-nosed one among them
and they have never had tick or a louise
At the time of Landing, he gives them
each a gill Of corn every morning, and
feeds plentifully with turnips or carrots.
They commence lambiDg in February; and
last season, part Of them being put with
the buck in March, again produced lambs
in August-and Mr. Marshall has no doubt
that had they all been with the buck at that
time. they would have produced a second
crop Of lambs" He intends hereafter TO
have them produce lambs twice a year.
He sells his lambs at between three and
four months old, at three dollars each, and
finds the business profitable. His sheep
average four TO five pounds per fleece. Mr..
Ms pastures are high ground, not very
rich, nor better adapted TO sheep than most
farms in the country.
AGE OF sHTEP.