The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-07-10
ur. shorts Thiriy.fve Pound Fleece.

Mr. shorts Thiriy.fve Pound Fleece.
In publishing the proceedings of the
Ontario and Livingston IN. W Wool
Growers Association, last week, we
stated that Mr.. s. ID. Short, the owner
of the ram whose fleece weighed thirty
FIVE pounds, requested the Secretary of
the Association to forward us samples
of the wool that the latter preferred
not to take it upon himself to select
areraqe samples unless we requested it
and designated some other person to as.
sist in choosing them; and that we had
made such request and designation, and
forwarded certain questions in regard
to keep and treatment of the ram, to be
answered by the owner.
We requested Secretary Ray, in con-
junction with William r. Pitts, Esq, OF
HOneoye, to examine the fleece and for
ward us samples, average in respect to
fiueness, length, and yolkiness, from the
shoulder, hip, bosom and belly, (includ-
ing "sweat, balls,") provided the fleece
was in such condition that those parts
could be distinguishea-ifhot, to send
average samples from the fleece as
whole.
We also requested that the owner state
how the ram had been kept and treated
how much and what he had been fed
besides hay and grass-whether he had
been housed summer and winter-how
many ewes he had served last fall-and
whether any artificial substance had ut
any time been put on or in the wool to
increase the weight of the fleece.
With the samples, we received the
following letter:
HoNEoYE, N. Y, June Ia, 1869.
Hon. HENRY S. RANDALL-Dear Sir
Agreeable to your request, we have
weighed and examined the fleece of s.
d. Shorts ram, and selected samples
which, in our opinion, are as You re-
auested. The fleece weighs thirty-fve
pounds. We inclose the statement of
Gideon Pitts and Mr.. Short, in regard to
the ram. We also indorse the above
statement.
WILLIAM r. PITTS.
JOHN z. RAY.
The samples forwarded are from the
different parts indicated by us. They are
VI blO USUAL HuGuC5S VI WOOl
which is considered desirable ameng
the breeders of the very heavy neeced
American Merino sheep. They range in
length from about one and tive.eighths
inches to one and seveu-eighths inches,
and are mostly of the latter length.
The hardened external yolk (gum) is
not unusual in amount. Within, the
wool is filled to excess and stuck to-
gether with yellowish, semi hardened
yolk. The "sweat.balP is not extraor-
dinary in size, (about the size of large
almond,) and is the usual mass of black
gum" attached to small lock of wool
How abundant these sweat balls were
we do not, of course, know. 1t is not
Of yolk to wool, as we un-
lerstand the fleece is entered for the w.
K. Pitts prize on secured wool, and we
take it for granted that the securing
will be entrusted to manufacturer of
well-known standing, and will be per-
formed as ,ceU as It has hitherto been per.
formed in similar trials for the State VOOl
GrOWers' association. Then, and not till
then, we shall know how much wool
and how much waste are represented in
this enormous fleece. We thank Mr..
Short for manfully meeting this decis- |
i've test-a test which most growers of
'brag deeces" have been careful to
avoid.
The questions we put to the owner
we're equally squarely met, by the keep
or and owner of the ram, in the follow
ug certiticate:
HoNEoYE, June Ii, 1869.
hereby certify that, in the summer
If 1866, took Merino eve belonging
20 Spencer ID. Short, my son.in-law,) to
Harlow Bros, of Darien, n. Y, To be |
ierved by their stock ram Young Grimes. |
The eve was returned to my place in |
he fall, and wintered there. On the |
I'D day of April, 1867. she dropped a
am lamb which weighe deleven and a |
quarter pounds. He sucked two ewes
Turing the summer and was housed from
leatly all the storms. He served twen-
y.four ewes in the fall was wintered |
IN hay and swill from the kitchen, com.
,osed Of sour milk, apple and potato
and dishwater, c., which he |
vas very fond of. He was shorn on the |
;th day of May, 1865; his fleece weighed |
wenty-seven and half pounds. He
las been at my place all the
ime until the date of this, ex-
.eptinga few days last fall, when he
vas at Shorts, to serve his ewes. He
vas housed from nearly all storms dur
ng the year. Was wintered the same
IS before, with an additional quantity |
,figrain, say pint of oats per day and |
he same quantity of bran. He served
Eighty -four ewes last fall, and was
ended. No artificial substance of any |
lind or nature has been used in any
manner to increase the weight of his
leece. He was shorn on the 9th day of
day, 1869, at the Exhibition of Ontario
md Livingston Wool Growers Associa-
ion HiS Naaoa wai 1had thirty II va /