The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1867-07-30
LONDON, England, ! King St.,
Cheapsile. juno L. 1865.


Friend Conn., promised to write
you when | got safely over the ocean.
Wel!,we came safely in eleven DAYS from
New York, landing mt Liverpool on the
2)th of May last. We have since trav-
elel about twelve hundred miles in Great
Britain, and are quietly settled down as
above till the first of Juy-when we 90
to Paris. But letters should b, sent us
at London, as above, put in "Chcapsn1c,"
as there are thirty-two King streets in
London, and we shall get them on our
return.
Next TO the fact that We are comfort
ably well, | suppose you will ask what
we have seen in this country9 | NAV
answer Il n eat many things, civil secular
and religions-but will state in this single
letter what | suppose is of most interest to
You and your ncighbors-that is Sleep.
These are the great agricultural staple of
the whole land. Since the RGnelepet,
cattle are not plenty. Cows are kept,
and il few young cattle; but yoke Of
working oxen have not seen either in
Scotland or England. / am told that in
one or two counties, working oxen are
used on the tarms-as with farmers in
America, but | have seen none in going
trcm Liverpool to Inverness, Scotland, and
in returning thence ria Edinburgh and
Glasgow TO London, either in yoke or out
OF 1t, neither on meadow, moving land or
hill y lsturc and while large numbers of
hp f,slt ti,a r,l,t II
other places on the continent, to supply
the Engll-hmans appetite for beef steaks
rare done, | think working oxen would
have little prospect Of life here But
mutton, mutton joints, mutton steaks.
mutton chops, mutton roast and mutton
baked, are the bill of fare of all first.class
hotels, as well as the luxury of private
families. Sheep viii become more and
more staple article of production and of
domestic commerce.
The primary object of the English in
raising sheep is for their m,W for the table.
The wool is Indeed sold for its value, but
en- this the people are not SO dependent.
The wool grows straight and long, not
remarkably fine, but is used in the man.
ulacture Of carpets and other cloths to
which middling grades of wool arc
adapted. Plenty of foreign wool is I'M
ported for the sumo uses. But the fresh
mutton joints must be raised here, if such
luxury is to be enjoyed. Hence, thou
sands Of acres of the best land in England
anl Scotland are devoted TO sheep raising.
These English sheep are larger than the
merinoes, and when fat, they are the
finest mutton in the world. | have seen
no mcrino sheep here as yet think
the climate would hardly suit them, and
they would rot suit the ELglishman's
appetite for mutton. Then, | think, the
rent, to be paid for land here would pre-
vent any kind of sheep being reared wilh
the primary object OF their wool. And,
as suggested, i. is exceedingly doubtful it
merlho sheep would live and thrive in
this climate. Some parts of Scotland are
quite too cold for ordinary English sheep.
In passing over the Highland Railroad
from Perth to Inverness, found only
small, hardy race of sheep, with black
faces, tails and feet, and The wool on the
body notified, OF ofa sort of brown color.
These sheep are fed on the mountain pas
iures, covered with low bush, called
heather or he,hcr, and are small, but
hardy, and when well fattcd on the crop.
pings of the heather, their flesh is said TO
be exceedingly fine and tender. In these
pastures are thousands of acres
without fence, and the sheep are kept on
he lands of their owners by the personal
'arc and attention of shepherds employed
by the owners of the sheep-who are
Usually the owners OF lesSces of the lands.
The shepherds either receive a share Of
he flock or serve f,r stipulated wages.
Stone yards or enclosures are provided
or each flock, TO which for shearins, or
n case OF intense cold weather, they may
Ne gathered, Though sometimes fed in
he winter, with such hay as may have
'eon gathered in bottoms, of meadows in
he vicinity, and turnips, in any but the
Il II