The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-01-19

vol f.i tat utor that ar Of undoubt Ell purity Of
20 aHi reiltrrrc. We are pleased 10 near
Hras .lI.Hr frlrihie .ourcra thft The officers are
e. fHIHIf aH.l Oh, 'ffua 90 r"f''rn lheir WORK IA
fl .faIiaf. Dbl. f..l If .fI.H uf ffN"r nurtna ~"
ttsf lrtI llH At.. $500 l.e'i 'it"n we i--uei
/ Il. rfsi tuIuifie ni t't.if % FiHi"r AIM ugh Wr
ave llf D. 40 tiu. o. tN anime u thoroughly
ti 10 thir tfex press opinion Of lts merits, we
can say uift tle volume IS handsome one ana
rftsltsbie o. The enterprise and taste of the
wisconsin shrep-hrrr. lcrs. The report of the
4nnutl meeting OF te Michigan Merino Sheep
nfef.iUrs' 1sauciatiun. held last month"; shows
f..fr 10 Ir In a speruus condition and about
o. a. o. urrss iih their fret volume. which con
aIus if.i f.aks. Ihc uld Uuit ed states Register
hss tts-.si intu other hands THAI th,sc at pub
nahe'i the nrst tuiumv, ant Is hVhcNc't % be u
ihurHuan Hud reliable wors. new volume u
In sn aiit ture stage Preparation for rnhlica.
uun. We ave not informed ~ ~ The present
! Statue 90 the wutk ut the Sew York Register
tut w. may r,st assured that they are doing val
aaule srffire tow tri- pr'aeNing the purity Of
| uur Mrfina sheep.
| H. return ,ra "a a. omr own work. The eNecu-
uNe ifuaul has lately adopted one new rule and
changed smother. thr OH, 50 ~ to rcHu as fol
/ lows. ~Shsep purchased nom hocks not re-
aufiisHd IN THIS Reg sirr NAV he aided 10 those
| now on record during l-ei, II accepted 10y tue
| committee on pcdigtccs The fees Tor recording
/ shall be- % reuts lor each sheep. and committee
I ice-
! The new rule adopted is ANY member may
have the pedigree OF any STOCK ram that mas pre-
Vipusiy been registered recorded IN the list OF
| sturk ANS by tie payment OF lee OF 20 cents,
subject t. the approval OF the committee on peu-
Gentlemen We feel grateful tor your sup
| pot aud rpni lcnce in the past, and We are
| thankful that We are enabled to report sucn
| sratitS ing prosperity, growth anu influence Oh
/ our assnD iattpu. IT, Interests hNc not sunercd
| 80 our hanii. W. dp uot trei that II would
i ha tc been Impossible iur Ia tp lave zone our
duty e fa.tttlly atth. ut ,lc hearty =uppOlt ami
t--i stance oi thr Uthe oiucrrs Of thc ASSOC ldtun
who have Always been alive I" To uAr common
| Interests aud faithfully lrnnoict inc prosperity
| 60. QUA ID .,Iltl.lu. We .iic urdrr especial ubl-
CATIONS o. thc c.iuiniticc on pedgrces, VINO have
| peri, flucd their duties WITH suict lwpAftlhiy,
urmncss AMI good Judgment. close win the
hope that the utuIc iutrIests OF your association
may lee emma rcrt and ITS proud position rs the
| leading MctinO shrcp Register my he mann
| tanned py VIII Imsuc, "a you shall cntrust win It's
| management.
The only paper presented was that of
| l.. ". Poet of Cornwall His subject
was sheep IIusbandry.' 1t is not pos
sible to print the essay in full, but the
appended abstract embraces the greater
portion and the principal points:
| MANY questions naturally arisc-question
| often asked and ably discussed before but such
| as may be reconsidered, since sheep-DreedlnS Is
| progressive science, II admits oi development.
| What, then, are some oi the important charac
| teristlcs OF the Spanish MerlnI sheep ol to-day
| AS no substantial house can exist without
good iountiation 50 tue perfect sheep must evil
| IDENTIFY have u good constitution. by tms IS
meant a harmonious adjustment oi all the parts
OF the animal organism. whlcn ensures goou
| health, great ylgOr and naturally results III
long life. such quality is Indicated by proau
| chest, erect carriage. bright eyes, clean nose
| and dilatcd nosiris. This point, always i'm
portant, appears more so just now, since larger
| frame is demanded by the market anu hence
breeders liable TO resort 10 forced leeuihg 10
| secure great size and early development. Nmle
| q generous feed is hcalthiul alike To man ami
| beast, too concentrated food given to young AM
mails must prove detrlmen al to INC digestive
| functions in the long run. The pubic shearlnSs
/ too, very naturally stimulates in the same dlrec
ii n. Heavy neeces are sought, and the sheep
that excels all others in this respect Is an OBJECT
| of interest and admiration; but he who breeds
for such notoriety without due regard 10 Tie con
| stitution OF his animals Is not wise. -
| A good covering is an essential point The
| few ounces OF wool which can be grown upon me
| face and legs oil a sheep seems small matter,ln-
deed, and Is so, commercially considered; Dut
| as q characteristic OF blood ana good breeding,
| of style and of beauty 1t becomes significant ana
very important Many shepherd would give
| 800 pound for wool could he cause ITS growth
| to appear on the sheep where he might uesig-
nate.
| One has only to glance at the picture Of the
| sh ep "Consol," bred by VIM. jarvis some lorty
years ago, IN order see how largely we nave
| i'm proved since that date in point of covering.
| But our greatest progress has been by increas-
| Ing the density OF the heece Microscopic III,
| yestigations bearing upon this subject reveal
wonders. DIR. Cutting has thus examined the
pelt OF Il Merino sheep and reports 25O,OOO nbres
| to the square inch; and he increases our won
| der still more by assuring us that only about
one-hith of the actual surface was coVereu ny
| the wool fibres. How tar this unoccupled sur
lace may be compelled to grow Wool by skin IL
| feeding and in judIcious breeding remains Tor
| future development. But the TACT Is mus made
| apparent that nature has provided Tor the
| growth of II much dunser fleece than we have
yet produced. The cold climate OF our state,
| the quality OF our grasses, our dry upland pas
lures anu general surroundings are ali favorable
| and no breeders are better situated 10 acqule
| this quality OF fleece than ourselves.
| An advance seems now in progress to breed
more uniform fleece over the entire body OF the
sheep. The subject Vi heavy wrinkles
| "A
| every sheep man. d"
Glance ut the stock rams exhibited at our lairs
and at our public shearings, those Win the
| best records tor heavy neeces or III premiums
| have uniformly been stylish sheep with heavy
| folds and with plenty OF OIL. Ihat wrlhhles may
| be grown in excess Of our need Is unqueslioneu;
| but this argues nothing against tue principle ol
| their general utility wnen borne IN uue proper
ton. We can breed TO excess III almost any Ill
| rection Sheep can be produced with 50 much
oil as TO be really worthless; shall we therefore
dispense with Oil AS II factor IN me prouuchoh oi
wool! In no wise, 50 strongly J. us presence
needed that could u stock ram DE Dreu III al
other respects perfect yet without oil, lac would
be regarded of doubtful utilitY-probably as Il
failure. OH Is not wool, but II appears 10 be u
| necessary adjunct 10 wool OF the best qualili o.
| This is not matter of opinion but vi scientific
demonstration. Al,
| The standard weight OF IA good Spanish Meii-
no ram in breeding condition Is 40 IDS OF up
! wards, given by the jury IN awarding prem
ums at the centennial The line OF progress
now, II correctly indicated by the present ue
| mains Tor the sheer. breeders of Normont 10 zee
how lar this demand Is just and 10 what extent
il can be met without q sacriiice oil some points
already attained. Size 10 desirable 80 lar only AS
| II leaves intact those points OF eAceliehes 10
| which many yeers OF careful breeding nave pceh
devoted. The general laws OF nature bearing
upon this point should not, however, be over
looked.
Very large apples, potatoes, strawberries ana
the like seldom equal IN quality those oil medium
size. Nature has her exceptions, but her law
are pretty uniform and seldom can one point DC
developed 10 any great extent without CORES
ponding sacrifice of another. whether we nave
now reached, or are Tar under the size TO when
the Spanish Merno sheep may be pronthDly
grown is left to the good judgment oil breeders
. | TO determine Tor themselves.
Little fear is ielt that we shalt be found long
, progressing backwards From wise selecuon
OF ami mails at the outset; from our past skill IN
breeding them from favorable climate; from
our love for the shepherds calling; and-shail
/, add the gold which comes nom tive nave
produced an animal of which some natterlng
, statements can justly be made, as follows: The
improved Spanish Merno sheep excels all others
, in the world wool-prOducing animal. IL
has been sold Tor u greater price than any other
sheep in the world. and Is the most valuable To-
day An fharS hanta in. fha.k