Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-04-08

fifteen inches long, very thick and fine
for combing wool. That from the
lamb is eleven inches in length, and
equally fine. Having known this breed
Of sheep over thirty years, we were sur
prised at the great improvement made
in the wool and lie the size and good
qualities Of the race by English breed
ers In that length of time. Good rams
let for thirty pounds $50 gold a
year in England. Broadfeld's Pride,
sire of son Of Broadfeld's Pride, took
all England's first prizes, the
Prince Of Wales cup, and first prizes
at London, Windsor, Canada, Ohio and
Illinois State fairs; and at the great
St. Louis fair in 1872. This animal
was purchased Of J. B. Briggs, Esq,
of Russell, KY. OF Cotswolds, Capt.
G. has some thirty imported from En-
gland, doubtless at high prices; for the
incidental expenses are too great to
deal in imported stock of a second or
third quality. To some forty Cots
void ewes of pure blood, Capt. G. has
added an equal number of pure blood
Southdown ewes. We have not word
to say In disparagement Of Spanish or
French merino sheep. OF the former,
Chancellor Livingston imported some
In the-frst decade of this century; pure
bloods of which were taken by the
writer to the Herkimer county fairs in
1917 and 1918. On another occasion
we may publish letter written by Mr..
COckrill long time ago, which we re-
ceived and probably have among early !
correspondence, treating of merino |
Sheep.
At the first United States agricultural |
census ever taken, THAT of l84OJ, New
York was far IN advance of the other |
States in the number of sheep return
ed; and it need surprise no one that
men, familiar with sheep husbandry in
that State, where sheep are fed on
hay, four or five months in a winter
should look to the mild climate and |
pure air Of Tennessee as presenting
great advantages for prosecuting this
very profitable industry. How does it
happen that so few farmers born and
raised in Tennessee, are able to appre-
ciate these invaluable, natural advan-
tages? We insist on the plain truth
Of the statement that should we burn
in a crucible or otherwise, the lock of
wool above referred to with its silken
fbers over a foot IN length, grown IN
fact at the rate Of more than an inch
a month, it would all turn to air with
the exception of a tTiae Of ash. We
commend Capt. Gibson's wit and wis
dom which permit vegetable vitality
to TRANSFORM air with its vapOr and
earthly salts, into blue grass and
orchard grass, and animal vital
ity to change these very
rapidly into wool Of great value.
Farmers have yet to learn what
they are made of; what it is that
forms their crops, domestic animals,
their farms, and the market value of
everything grown on any farm. Bum
the body Of a man as IN cremation, and
you viii have, IF not too near skin and
bone) about twelve per cent, possibly
a little more Of ash, or earthly matter
left. There Is no clay nor flint IN the
50 that in no Just sense is
man made Of the dust Of the earth.
Being easily volatilized he is common
ar. HIS life and his wealth are ike
oil in a lamp which readily takes to it.
self wings and flies away. This con-
sumed oil may soon appear as oil in
cotton seed, IN corn, IN a fat pig, or
better still, In a Cotswold that Will
shear twelve or fifteen pounds of fine
long wool every twelve months. Kind
nature, which dislikes blowing and the
washing Of soils in cotton culture, gives
two pounds Of wool for the amount of
labor required to Produce one pound of
cotton.
In Tennessee we have twenty million
acres Of land lying out, and beyond
where the pillow reaches, interesting
mainly for the amount Of taxes which
it draws annually from the pockets of
the owners. What shall be done with
this land2 Capt Thomas Gibson of
EweII station has done much to answer
our question by his grass culture, su-
perior sheep, short horns, and bloOded
horses. Maury county has many ex-
cellent farmers Of eqHal intelligence
and enterprise, and foremost in the
work Of improvement, may be named |
Mai. Cheairs whose large plantation
Joins that Of Capt Gibson. There is a
great breadth Of promising wheat
growing in Maury and other counties
IN Middle Tennessee. A first class
steam Touring mill is soon to be erect
ed near Spring Hill The taxable
property Of this State is likely soon to
be doubled in value, simply byutilizing
forces Of nature.
4
DEEP PLOWEEG-EEME As FEREI-
LIzER- HINTS ON VAR
IOES SUBJ
To the Union and American: I
DAVIDSON COUNTY, April G.-We are a | /
OUrmust eXccllentpaper. {
The agricultural department is worth TO us
more than ten times its cost. Mr.. Lee, the {
editor Of that department, has proved him !
self a man Of great culture and thought, {