Agricultural Column. SHEEP BREEDING.

Bruce Herald, Volume VI, Issue 353, 1 February 1871, Page 7

Agricultural Column. SHEEP BREEDING.

The description of slieftp in the. greatest demand by arable farmers are early and •iiipk feeders. The breeder of sheep rewires to adapt his flock to the character of Bs breeding ground, and the facilities it afford* for shelter. ' It should always be within bis ppwer to select those animals fot breeding which are ihe most perfect in form, and being the most symmetrical, are, as a consequence, more easily fattened than coarse animals. As profit is what every farmer hns in view, whether he is a breeder . or feeder of stock, it should be remembered that it costs no more for food and attendanoe to raise and fatten a superior sheep : than an inferior one. The point to be aimed at by the breeder is, therefore, to breed only from the best, and for the feeder to purchase only the best for feeding:. Too much care cannot be exercised in the selection of both sire and dam. No ram should be used without being first examined ; this examination may be undertaken at the time the animals are separated from their dams, and afterwards before they are. used for breeding purposes. It does not. by any means follow because the ram and ewe are superior in form that their progeny will clos.ely resemble them in this respect, but the probabilities are in favor of a close resemblance. At all events the symmetry of form will re-appear in their progeny j and, with care in selecting the best, the symmetry of form will become hereditary. Size arid substance are important, but, are less so than symmetry. A strong back and loins, with long and level quarters and muscular thighs, with the legs well placed under the sheep, the barrel round, and the ribs well sprung; from the spine, with a muscular neck, and finely formed head — these are most essential points. The size and position of the eye usually indicates the care which has been bestowed in the breeding of the animals. The description of stock which usually pays the feeder best for the food eaten are cross-bred sheep — that is, sheep the produce of a pure bred ram of a highly improved bre'id, and a pure-^bred or cross ewe of a different breed. In selecting rams for the purpose of obtaining half-bred lambs, it is not unimportant to bestow considerable attention to symmetry, although form and general character are not so important as purity of descent. There are farmers who use halfbred rams having the characters of a pure breed to serve ewes intended to produce halfvbred lambs, but the produce is generally unequal in size and in character, while the evident absence of uniformity operates against their -selling price in a market. The purchaser who undertakes to fatten them usually finds that they are large consumers, while the absence of uniformity tends to reduce their selling value when fat. It is true economy, therefore, in selecting rams for the purpose of breeding ball-hred lambs — whether these are to be sold fac when sucking, or are to be sold as fat hoggets — to choose thoseraras which are pure as to breed, and have the distinguishing points of the breed woll (level oped. Where straw has to be burnt on a farm it shows that vhe farmer grows too many acres of wheat or keeps less live stock than he ought to. It proves that there is a disproportion between animals and grainfields, and one-sided farming is bad farming. All the straw grown ought to be used as bedding in the stables, pig-styps, or yard, and so turned into manure. It has been computed that the resistance to draught on dirt or gravel roads is about 1481 b. to the ton. On a well-constructed macadamised road it is not far from 601 b. to the ton. On a good pavement, say granite or Belgian, it is about 33H). to the ton, while on an iron, rail-track it is 51b. to the ton. These facts show that a horse will draw three times as much on a ■ macadamised road as on a- common road, four and one-half times as much on a pavement, and eighteen times as much on an iron rail. This conclusion of course implies That tbe horse has the same secure fooihold in each case. American farmer* say that bay cut by a machine does not cure so well as when cut by the band -scythe and spread with a fork. It was to remedy this drawback in machine mown hay.tbat tbe " tedder " was introduced, and that appliance is now considered indispensable where the mowing machine is used. .. Every, farmer who desired to take advantage of the experience of others, and to make a profitable use of what he bears or reads; respecting, what.^the pursuit in which he is engaged, shonld provide himself .with a blank book large enough to hold all the. recipes and useful hintß lie meets wi^h, so that they may be made available when ; ' win ted. •■'■ •" ---V- ■■■'■'■ '■'-.. ■"■-■•<■*'<■■ - : < 1 There are BeveraP' kinds of subsoil : ploughs, and plonghs that are more; iprbr perly trench ploughs are often called snb- ■- ; soil-ploughs. A proper' subsoil plough has no mould-board or 14nd sidei It is;intended r to ;be;drawhtitt-Dhe furrow; made by AcoTn-r, mon plough. ■, Its aim is to break Cup ; the, \? ;jj -;cpm"padjt.an : 'd imperious substance of; heavy soil,^leaving it for. the most part}} in the ■ :: i fprro ; \yB J r.ead^.;.to;.be.:br,olsen ; .up i .. On farms .;,' , where it is,; necessary, tq. keep 'the- thin 1 „ . stratuno f ,qf v upon ■," ila.e sur'facie/ 'the' subsoil plough i should be insed gypry-senson, , as often aa the land "isfplougbed/'-'.tfnjil'the. ftntire ground is p.uiyerized for fifteen or twenty inches deep. If a farnTer has hut •• a J single team he ma y work a subsoil ploiigh; . ;;;by7fii:stccutting.;a furrow, : [: with a J 'c6rum'on r v plough and then hitch,his tegui tato'e'sub-' 'soil plough, and so jptough 0 altemativeiy : ' jpoiind'theland^ Thisis a slow way, but ■s. • itJB .better to do.so tban not to pulverise the compact impervious subsoil. The tndst r: ' convenient and expeditious way is to employ -' - ! oni&' tea tn to follow another, working a _:: -common :plough- first, and following witha . f Bubspil iplbugh in every s furrow. Land " :i be subsbiled several times, before Y Vth^bar'd: impervious, substratum will b& \ J : ty^^gQly; } puiy-erised.^^^ ,V;V :

<<We have heard/'- remarks the * Pall Mall Gazette, « so, much of late years about the beautiful influence exerted by the presence ofozone in the atmosphere that even non-scientific readers may li^ 8 to know how it can be artificially produced.. A writer in 'Nature? states that most of the strong'-sraeiljng vegetable essences, such as mint, cloves, lavender, lemon, and cherry laurel,, develop, a. very large quantity of ozone when in contact with atmospheric oxygen in light. Flowers destitute of perfume do hot develop it, and generally the amount of ozone seems to-be in proportion to the strength of the perfume emanated. Professor Monte«'azza recommends that in marshy districts, and in places infested; with noxious exhalations, strong-smelling 1 flowers should, be planted around the bouse, in order that the pzjne emitted from- them may exert its powerful influence. So pleasant a plan for making* a. malarious distriot salubrious only requires to be known to be. put in practice." - The only means of ensuring good butter in hot weather is to keep the milk in some place whose temperature is not too high. Every dairyman should have means and appiiancev for this purpose. The readiest mode that suggests itself is the construction of an underground r<>qm, or the excavation of a place of >uffioient capacity in the side of a hill ; b"ut it. is only fair- to say that such places, although effectual enough so far as mere temperature is concerned, are not regarded with favor by some on account of the want of sufficient circulation of air; As to the question relative to kegs suited for butter intended for export, would it -be ; possible to use tin cases, or would the expense be too great ? Could the square kerosene tins be made available? - There are plenty of them to he obtained for nothing. They misrbr, we should think, be cleaned- by steam, then filled with fresh" mould, and buried in the earth for a few days ; and altered by any tinsmith for a- mere trifle so as to admit of the butter being well packed and salted in the usual way. Every farmer should have a can of linseed oil and a brush on hand, and, whenever he buys a new tool, he should soak it well with the oil and dry it by the fire or in the sun, before nsinsr. The wood by this treatment is tong-hehed arid strengthpnsd, and rendered impervious to water. Wet a new hay-rnke, and when it dries it-will begin to be loose in the joints; but;, if -well ; oiled, the wet will have but si i^ht effect. Spades and boes are preserved from checking and cracking in (he top of the handle hy oilintr; the wood becomes smooth as glass b}' use, and id far less liable to blister the hand when long used. Axe and hammer hunches oft<m break off where the wood enters the iron : this part particularly -should be tnti^-hened with nil, to secure durability. Oiling the \"ood in (he eve of the axe will prevent its swelling and shrinking, and some'ime* ge-ffin^ 1 loose. The tools on a large farm cost a large sum oi .money ; they should be of the most approved kinds. Laborers should be required to return their tools to the convenient places provided for them ; af er using, they should be put away clean and bright. The mouldboards of ploughs are ant to get rusty from one season to another, eveo if sheltered ; they should be brushed over with a few drops of oil when put away, and will then remain in good order till wanted. Alluding to the manner of propagating cutting's, the ' New England Farmer 'pays that it has bep.n ascer r ained that a cutting will develop roots much sooner in moist sand than in rich soil. But the sand cannot maintain its growth for any length of time. To prepare Dots for raising cuttings they should be filled nearly to the brim with rich garden loam, dark and porous, not clayey and soggy; then pour in one inch in depth of scouring 1 sand ; sea sand will do as well as the yellow sand. Wet this thoroughly, and place the cu* tings, from which all but three or four upper leave* have keen removed, close to the side of the pot ; the contact of the ware against the stem of the cutting 1 promotes its growth. Press the wet sand firmly around the tiny stem. A great deal of your chance for success m raisingslips or cuttings depends upon this. Plant as many cuttings as the pot will hold, from six to a dozen, according to the size of your pot; when they are firmly set in the sand, two or three can be inserted in the middle of the pot. Set them away in a dark, warm place .for twenty-four or thirty-six hours. Thus, cuttings will grow quickly in abot-bed, because the temperature is . < not dry. Their growth depends a;great. deal upon light, iheat, ; and moisture. If a bud is close at the fiase of a cutting it will .strike more easitv— ?is not so apt- to decay. The roots shoot from a bud,- and^th'e-lo'wer- do'wn' it 7 is the surer your success.- When the leaves drop,. the blant; is- commencing /to ig-row ; ;,:Jf they, wither; on the stem j it. .has begun' to decay. By following these directions no, one can fail to grow all, kinds, of house plants. Roses and; V all , the rar/est B flowprs of the green- nouses .. ,ar<3:. propagated i in this manneri;- - ; v ' -: , -,■■:, ..■■:■■.■' ' •■■rr, ! . ■ : Farmers, : as a class,- waste ; more time thanv trades^people' ■and'Smecb'anics, — 'and do. not fallow tHeir calling vjr|th l inearly as m uch ze' jftl . a' iiii . energy as '; ■ b usiness } me n in r ci ties. '. '.;ThfeyVsn r anlaiiiia^e>^a:nd' jtha' fc- noth> ■ ing lean JSCdone' withautlmuch; wbrk^both'< of the. head, and hands— r-often in! .'that face) ofyiscqur^geaient.. I . Thei'd is no ., difficulty o in, harvesting. lucferne^seed^b)it i 'itW'not all ' jea^y, seed! to thrash]" aWd, -'from' tfae/febfc of so Jit tie being saved' in theVdolonies^r:'we : ;'are; disposed to regard the crop as unprofitable., It is, io weyer, ;high tl me tha t we gre y/: _. pur. o w s n seed, i -Our, imports, are jtargeyf I - • ! .i.^Qjoal.-ta^e^.form aii;£xcell©njL material for the formation of compost heaps ; they ha,ve 'an excellent effect on turnips, and all members .ofithe' cabbage tribe. \ Salt, alsoy' is: ; yery. grateful; to titMß- ;sanie.:Vplants," aiid^ where the cbm^post is^ta be usedLftjfe tKejje^ thi&sh^uld;;lje,ad4e<|.-: : , ;S 1; : '