The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-04-16
ANNUAL snEEP suEARINGs.


y A.s'*.f sts~@-'<----
This event, that by tho kindness an
liberality of MIR. Rich has become an
established institution, took place last
Saturday, the 10Th. There was large
attendance, and number of breeders
brought in few sheep, each to be
shorn in public. A few of the sheep
were out of condition in consequence
of protractod illness, but their breeders
thought as they had become used to
having them shorn at this shearing they
would continue to do so, although this
single shearing alone would fail 10
show the real capacity of their sheep.
The most notable case of this kind
was the stock ram, Rip Van Wrinkle,
bred and owned by ii. 3. Brookins,
P'chville. This ram cut o very heavy
and excellent fleece last year at Mr..
Rich's shearing, but he has been doing
very badly for number OF weeks and
the result is, his third fleece proves
to be much lighter than his second,
although still as large as the fleeces OF
many of our best stock rams, among
which Rip Van Wrinkle has become
popular, his stock proving among the
best in his section. Mr.. Rich's stock
ram, Banker, although he has gained
eighteen pounds in carcass during the
past year, fell off slightly in fleece, as
was to be expected in his fifth year, es-
pecially as he has done such an extern
sivc service as stock ram. This
cause also operated against Rip Van
Wrinkle. OF the stock of Banker, Mr.,
Rich had two yeerling ewes and one
two year old eve shorn. K. N. Bis
sell, East Shoreham, two yearling
ewes. II. N. & o. f. Atwood, two
rams two years old; these two rams, as
will be seen, cut heavy fleeces with a
largo per cent. of wool to weight oil
carcass. With the assistance of some
of the ladies of the neighborhood, Mr..
and Mrs. Rich dispensed to the numer-
GUS visitors present a cordial and gen.
erous hospitality. The following is the
account of the shearing:
v. Rich, stock ram Banker, carcass,
$50; cut last August 10 lbs; at this
shearing, Is Sd lbs; just one year,
90 "a lbs. or 1-2 lbs. less than last
year, when his fleece, shorn as now, in
August and April 10, weighed 81 Ia
lbs, which gave 9 lbs. and OF. cleanscd
wool. Eve two years old, carcass,
81 1-2, fleece, one years growth, 16 IA
lbs. Eve, eleven months old, carcass,
GA lbs. fleece, 10 lbs. Eve, one year
old, carcass, SO lbs; fleece. 16 lbs. II
will be observed that this last gives q
per cent. of 27.1 lbs. wool to carcass.
e. N. Bissell, two yearling ewes, car
cass one, 80 lbs; fleece, II 3-4 lbs, car
cass one, II lbs; fleece, II IA lbs.
G. d. Bush, North Orwell, ram Rex,
three years old, bred by V. Rich, sired
by Messrs. Stickney & Moore's Centen-
NAL, carcass, 105 lbs. 4; fleece, 81 lbs. one
years growth.
r. N. 81 .. F. Atwood, two rams,
two years old, sired by Banker, one car
cass, 113 1-2 lbs. fleece, 26 1-2 lbs. the
other carcass, 1876 lbs. fleece, 81 1-2 lbs. !;
These two rams were shorn April %,
1879, the feeces were therefore but
eleven and one half months, growth.
ii. s. Brookins stock ram Rip Van
Wrinkle, carcass, 118 lbs. fleece, "a 1-2
lbs; ram teg, sired by him, carcass,
81 1-2 lbs; fleece, Is IA lbs.
j. @. Caswe'' & Sons, ram, three
years old, sired by Pat Henry, (sheared
last year April 90, carcass, log 1-2 lbs. !;
fleece, % 1-2 lbs.
G. ii. Hall, Shorcham, stock ram
Ben Wade, five years old, carcass, 131
lbs; fleece, one year, 2S lbs. Eve
teg, sired by Ben Wade, carcass, IS
lbs. fleece, II 1-2 lbs.
E. G.. Farnham, West Cornwall, ram
two years old, carcass, 95 lbs. fleece,
II IA lbs.
L. 2. Burns, Whiting, stock ram,
five years old, carcass, 112 "a lbs.
fleece, 20 IA lbs. Eve tcg, carcass,
40 lbs; fleece, 10 Sd lbs.
G. a. Cutting, East Shoreham, ram
teg, carcass, SO 1-2 lbs.; fleece, / 8 1-2
lbs.
A. Il. Wolcott, two ewes, two wears
old, one cut IA 1-2 lbs. wool from 81 1-2
lbs. carcass; the other, Is 1-2 lbs. wool
from SO 81 lbs. carcass.
While in the neighborhood we were
informed that Z. N. Bissell sheared
eighteen two year old rams, April /,
2 and 3, that averaged over 20 lbs.
each. Fifteen of these were of Mr..
BisselPs own breeding, and were shorn
May 8, and 10 last year. One of the
others was shorn April 20, last year,
and the other two, April 20, last year;
the fifteen raised by Mr.. Bissell, having
less than eleven months growth Of
fleece, and tho other three but little
more than eleven months growth of
fleece. For the number and the time
the fleeces were growing, this average
is remarkable. c..