The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1883-12-22

ing down the country one day last
week, NEW DOMINION scribe turned
into the gate which makes the en-
trance to Col. VIM. A. Hanway's fine
farm lying short distance east Of
Cassyille.
We found the Colonel and his clev-
er assistant, Mr. w. I. Boyers, ener-
getically engaged in piping q stream
of water from an elevation ON his
farm down into his barn to supply
the stock during the winter. We ac-
companied them in a survey Of the
we'll sodded medews, dotted over with
the feeding sheep and assembled TO
an elevation from which we over
looked Morgantown, four miles to
the east, with the blue background
Of the mountains, the winding Mon
ongahela at its base. and the level
stretch of country which leads out
to Stewartstown. A grander view
and a more enchanting site for a
dwelling is not to be found in Mon
ongalia county.
But this is not all, or the least that
we saw in this visit to the Colonel's
beautiful farm. The rare focks of
Merine sheep which were distributed
over the different meadows is a sight
which is least ofLenseen in Monougalia
comfy and the one that will attract
the attention of the visitor to this
farm. While we stood in the center
of large field Mr.. Boyers, would
send out his shepherd dog to drive
up the distant flock for our inspec-
ton. Taking up one of these "ba-
bies," as the Colonel fondly calls
them, we were permitted to examine
at leisure the thick coats of fine wool
in which they are inveloped. The
skin Of the. Merino lies in folds or
ridges over its body. thus extending
and enlarging the productive surface
OF the sheep and largely adding to the
yield of wool over the grade sheep.
No. only so, but their legs and bel
lies, and even their noses are heavily
covered with the fleece. One has to
explore in the depths Of the fleece to
discover that they have eyes and
where they are hidden. There is
scarcely square inch Of the body of
any sheep that does not contribute
to charging and increasing the
weight of the fleece. The wool from
the belly of any Merino-which in
the grade sheep is bare-will pay the
difference in the price of the two
breeds in few shearings.
We stood and wondered, while
looking at the two grades Of sheep
standing side by side, that any farm
CIR would hesitate, for the small differ
ence in the cost, to ADOPT the one
and reject the other. Yet while sheep
husbandry in this country is becom-
ing general, and nearly every farm
contains one or more focks, the COM
mon grade lie the prevailing, If not,
with this exception, the exclusive
one. So we may say of almost every
other kind of stock. The quality
seems to be minor consideration
with our farmer. A horse, to him,
is a horse whether it is of the Ham
bletonian or "dunghill'' variety. A
COW is a cow, whether it be Jersey
or Pennyroyal roamer. Here and
there over the county there is farm
err who begins to manifest some ap-
probation for pure bred stock. He
begins to realize that it costs as much
or more to raise scrub as q thor
oughbrcd, and when it is raised there
is either no market for it or . very
proftless one. Even a we'll bred dog
is a consideration to farmer having
sheep that can hardly be estimated.
The dog that Col. Hanway's tenant
uses, we have no hesitation in say
ing, is worth $500 a year to the farm.
He performs the labor Of O man in
the care Of the sheep. Instead Of
the tenant being under necessity to
tramp two or three miles through the
snow every evening to drive the sheep
into the fold, the dog does all the
driving and does it better than .
man. The latter can sit at his Ore
and send the dog out with his orders,
relying as confidently on the sheep
being brought home as il he had
gone himself. Yet We see farmers
through the county keeping = brood
Of noisy hounds or worthless ours,
which will kill his sheep if they have
a chance, and refuse to pay a five
dollar bill for dog which will earn
a mans wages through the year.
But we are glad to note the ambi-
ton that, we say, is manifesting itself
gradually over the county to acquire
the best grades Of stock of every
kind. When our farmers have once
tested the difference, they will wonder
that they so long stood in their ewn
light and remained oblivious to a
rich source of profit. Col. Hanway
has done the county = service by in
Producing the entering wedge for
better grade Of sheep.
TIE Temperance and Law and Or
der Association held its regular
monthly meeting in the NJ. P. Church
on Sunday evening last. Rev. G. B.
Foster delivered an address on the
subject. Liquor Selling as q Crime"
The subject was handled in a most
v,o.;<;,,a = - 4 fa~ rJaas orannor Wh;ln