The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-11-02
Wan. Croskey, OF IIopctiaie. Harrison Co.,
Ohio. ms n Wool Grower.


Ohio, as n Wool Grower.
We have received a pamphlet copy ofan
interesting address on the resources ofthc
United States for sheep husbandry and
wool manufacture, delivered before the
National Agricultural Congress at Now
Haven, Connecticut, by John l.. Hayes, LII.
D. In thisaddrcss Dr.Haycs makes allusion
10 quite number Of fine saxony and 81
lesian Rocks in this neighborhood, among
others being those owned by Faris Broth
ers, and Einian Beall, Of West Liberty,
Ohio county, W. Va. For the facts per.
tanning to these sheep Mr.. Hayes an.
nounces his Indebtedness to j. D. Whit
ham, OF the stcubenvillo Wool House, who
also furnishes him tho following account
Of what he learned from YIN, Csoskey, of
Hopcdale, Harrison eo6Gty, when ION a
visit there to inspect his justly celebrated
clip Of wool: ,,
.sIr. William! Croske ~ pI fIobejaie, has
over thousand 'ilecccs, allgrading MN
and above. had supposed there was not
such clip in the country, and certainly
there is not such another. It presents q
very snowy appearance, MS 1t IS 'rackcd
up on an elevated platform in tho middle
OF his barn floor. Snowwhite in appear.
ancc. a manufacturer could but say, i
came, / saw, bought He has his ram
aceces, some fifteen or twenty, piled on
the outside OF his pile in the wall in one
place. and tells you, Now, will give you
This pile, II you will pick out the bucks
Heeces' They arc washed, and present
as snowy and white an appearance as any
OF his heecea. His wool is longer in the
staple than Iiliad expected to'sce It,, Much
OF It has delaine length,-the very wool
for French cashmeres and neTlnos. . ~
'!Mr. Croskey considers, his sheep the
hardest that are bred in the Ohio, Penn
sylyania and West Virginia region. His
feeces average three and three.quarter
pounds. He sold last year for sixty-iivc
cents pound, straight through, without
any deductions or bookings. said TO
him, what breed Of sheep do you have,
Mr.. Croskey? is it Saxony? 5Ic /.
"T do not know. have aimed TO breed
the best and finest sheep tliat I could get.
do not like the Silesian; bred them one
year, butsoldall the stool; when two years
old. l do not think there Is q drop OF 81
lesian blood in my flock. Tho Silesians
may be worry good sheep, but not what |
am breeding for. | have some Of the best
OF Thomas 4. Woods flock, acknowledged
by all to have been the finest Of that sec
ton, but sold and scattered among other
wool men after his death. | had ono Of
his rams, which died last year at the age OF
% years, and which took the premium or
medal as tle finest sheep at ono Of the
Worlds Fairs. | have now twenty better
sheep than him, in every respect"
".Do you not thinkyour breed OF sheep,
or the Saxony sheep, tender?" u
~ suppose my sheep arc Saxony, IL any
thing. They are not american merino,
Spanish, silesian, Or any Other breed OF
which | have heard. This ram, dying at
the age OF twenty.two, would secm'to. indi-
cate hardness. do not house my sheep.
Some OF them have FREQ access to- sheds,
but they are Just as apt TO selectthe high
est knoll OF cold night as any other
place. think there Is no harder sheep,
) no sheep better adapted &c. this CLIMATE;
and We have as hard a'climate as any,
where, the. thermometer getting down as
low as 25s below zero, and up to lO0in the
much much trouble Viii ng ismBs Il dripping
time as some of5iny5neighborse who raise
Spanish. or American merinos.' sis
"Do you think tho tendency Of your
flock is 10 grow finer and lighter or potT
"My flock Is finer than when l com
mcnced breeding, forty years ago and the
heeces will average one pound heavier
obviously because it has become longer
with no more greese. i feed,but little
grain. I can raise,two OF my Saxony sheep
where you can raise ono merino. Neigh
bor Mulholland tried this and found the
Saxon the hardest, and much the easiest
kept With the same care II will raise
nearly y much woS and BsSbab lgg more,