Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-05-27
The Shearing Festival.

| The Lamoille County Agricultural Socl-
ETY., held to day at this place, was by tar one
of the most interesting entertainments that
the hardy yeomanry of this community have
favored us with for long time. 1t in true
/ that the festival was poorly attended Prob
ably not one-ffth of the number expected
were here. and assuredly these few were
not the smallest fraction of the many thriv-
| ing wool growers all over our county. Per
| haps the hurrviDg 8. seed time " which now
engrosses the attention Of our farmers, may
be the excuse for SO many being absent And
| if we speculate a little further we may find
another something which may be one of
their reasons for being absent, though in
truth it is really unreasonable. The fact is
well known to all that wool growing is not
Just now as profitable, in point of dollars and
cents, as it has been during few of the past
wears Now it is also true that among all
classes-and in this farmers not an excep-
tion-that particular kind of business which
pays the most in money, receives In a greater
degree the attention of those interested. 1t
is very poor economy to continue this prac
tice in matters of wool growing, for if we be
gin it and continue to neglect the high
attainments we have secured in this particu-
lar, until such time the price of wool shall
rise from its present low degree and become
.. king" again. we may and probably will
Z
race of sheep, that it will then cost twice the
money and twice the time to bring us back
TO where we are To-Day, in relation to this
subject of which | spoke. In all, twenty
four sheep were registered-and these all fine
,cool. And here again l must digress from
my direct report.-Now it can't he that the
coarse wool men have left the field and given
up the contest-oh no. We only conclude
by their not being here to day that they are
ma kinD q Hapk movement
so that next year they will occupy the COM
handing grounds. But be that it may,
the IS fine woods - would have been pleased
to see them to day. The diplomas awarded
are as follows
o. H. Cook, of Morrstown, for first best
three year old fine wool buck. Lyndon Me
Allaster, of Stowe, for the second best three
year old fine wool buck, c. c. Twiss, for
the second best three year old fine wool buck.
1.-TWO diplomas were issued In this case Tor
the reason that the judges were unable to
discover any difference between the two.)
Hiram Dodge, of Morristown, for the third
best three year old fine wool buck. Orson
Hadley, of II yde Park, for the first best three
year old fine wool eve. o. III. Cook, ofMor-
ristown, for second best three year old fine
wool eve. solomon Stowe, of Morristown,
for the first best one year old fine wool eve.
Orson Hadily, Hydepark, for second best
one year old line wool eve Solomon Stowe,
of Morristown, for first best one year old fine
wool buck. Solomon Stowe, of Morristown,
for first best two year old fine wool buck
OrsOn Hadley, of Hydepark, for first best
two year old fine wool eve
Mr. E. D. Mungen, of Middlebury, an en-
terprising sheep man, registered six yearlings
and one three year old eve. These sheep at
tracted greal deal of notice and occasioned
considerable comment. 1t was pronounced
by several as very excellent lot. Several
gentleman from other counties, who are ex-
tensively engaged in wool growing, were on
the ground-among them l noticed the follow
ing l.. S. Drew, of Burlington Henry
ThOp, of Colchester and Messrs f. 5. Row
ley, III. n Newhall, and j. L. Barstow, of
Shelburne. These gentlemen expressed them
selves in the most flattering terms as to the
prospect of Lamoille county relative to wool
growing. On the whole, the affair was of
the most pleasing and interesting character.
Many fleeces of surprising weight We're taken
from the g woody race. y The fleece of Cooks
buck weighed 5 pounds, of Nc Alister s 20 2
pounds, and of Dodge's 16 l pounds. Mr.
Hadley had nice little yearling eve, whose
carcass weighed forty-six pounds, and its
fleece, for wonder, nearly fourth as much
eleven pounds. Many more statements of
interest might be made but [ forbear for
want of time. G. j. LEWIS, Secretary.
Morristown, May 10th, 1865.