the next morning, the sheep are led into the spacious shearing room, which joins the sweating place. As fast as they are sheared the shepherd carries them off to be marked with tar, which usually consists of the first letter of the name of the proprietor, and each subdivision is denoted by the part of the sheep on which this letter is placed; and as this operation is necessarily performed upon one at a time, it gives a fair opportunity to cull out for the butchery all the sheep of the flock which have lost their teeth.

A man can shear twelve ewes in a day, or eight rams. The fleeces of three of the latter often weigh, in the dirt or yolk, twenty-five pounds, which is equivalent to those of four wethers, or five ewes. The reason of the difference in the number of sheep sheared in a day is, not only because the rams have larger bodies, are stronger, and have more wool, but the shearmen dare not tie their feet as they do those of the unresisting ewes. Experience has taught them that a bold, rebellious ram would struggle even to suffocation thus confined under the shears; consequently they gently lay him down, stroke his belly, and actually beguile him out of his fleece.

The sheep that have been shorn are allowed to go to the fields if the weather be fine, in order to feed during the day, and in the evening they return to the yard in front of the shearing house to pass the night, and if the weather be cold or cloudy they are sheltered within. Thus they are brought by degrees to endure the open air, and their first days' journey from the esquileos to the mountains are short, where we will leave them, having followed them through their annual peregrinations, and go back to their wool.

Sorting and Cleaning the Wool.-The sheep and shearers being dispatched, the first thing to be done is to weigh and pack up the fleeces, and convey them entire to a place to be scoured, if they are to go out of the kingdom, or to any considerable distance within it; for as the wool is said never to lose less than half its weight in the operation of scouring, and often more when the sweating has been violent, at least one half the expense of transportation is saved. As soon as the wool reaches the scouring places, it is given to the "apartadores," whose business is to separate it into three parcels of different qualities, as denoted by the diagram above.

No 1 is styled refina, or first quality; 2, fina, or second quality; 3, tercera, or third quality; 4, cayda, or refuse. That taken from the back, flanks, and sides of the neck of the sheep is regarded as of the first quality; that from the breast, belly, sides of the haunches, and from the back part of the neck, the second quality; that from the cheeks and throat, the fore legs above the knees, the hams, and back part of the haunches, the third quality; and that which is taken from the rump, the extremities, and from between the legs, is of the fourth quality, and is comparatively worthless. Formerly the second quality was taken only from the haunches and belly; the third quality from the back part of the neck, the cheeks, throat, breast, fore legs and hams; and the fourth quality from the top of the head, the tail, and the extremities of the hind legs. Hence a different value is fixed upon each of these classes of wool, although it has long been a custom in some provinces to sell the whole pile together at a mean price.

As soon as the wool is properly assorted it is spread upon wooden hurdles and beaten with rods, in order to deprive it of as much of the dirt and dust adhering to it as possible previous to its being scoured. In selecting a situation for a scouring place, a valley open to the sun, is preferred, through which runs a stream of pure water, and where there are inclined meadows sufficiently spacious for drying the wool. The fixtures and apparatus for scouring consist of one or more large copper caldrons, mounted on a furnace, and provided with appropriate cocks, pipes, gutters, &c., for conducting hot water into three square pits, or wells, (one for each class of wool,) lined with masonry, and are about a yard in depth. These wells are filled to half of their depth or more with wool, upon which there is let fall from the caldrons a current of water heated to a temperature of 120° to 140° F., and even higher, according to the degree of fineness, and the condition of the article to be scoured. The finer the quality, and the more dirty the wool, the higher it becomes necessary to carry the temperature. The wool thus disposed is turned in the hot water in every direction with a large fork, or some other implement, for a space of five or six minutes, and is then spread on wooden hurdles, a yard or more in width, situated along side the pits, in order to drain off the water and filth which has already begun to dissolve. Directly by the side of these hurdles is a narrow aqueduct formed of masonry, or stone, through which flows a current of cold water, into which the wool is next thrown. It is received at the head of the aqueduct, and is carried along its length by the force of the current, being pressed and rubbed in its passage by the feet of one set of men, until it is at last thrown out by another upon an inclined plane, formed also of masonry, or stone, where it is left to drain. At the lower end of the aqueduct is placed a small net for catching such locks as may accidentally escape the washers above, and, thereby, prevent them from being carried away. As soon as the wool is well drained it is spread upon the grass in the neighboring meadows, and, in the course of four or five hot sunny days, it becomes sufficiently dry to be packed up and sent away to the manufactories or to the places of shipment. It is usually put in canvass bags, of various sizes, on each of which are marked an initial letter indicating its quality, and other letters or signs denoting the flock and sub-division it is from, so that the

experienced wool-stapler is enabled to distinguish, at sight, the nature of each bale and the cavaña to which it belonged.

Imperfect as this mode of scouring appears, it answers every purpose for preserving the wool during the longest voyage; and if a similar mode were adopted in the United States, particularly with the fine, wooled races, or those the fleeces of which are intended for felts, instead of washing it on their backs, as is generally the case, it would doubtless be much improved. It is a well-established fact, that if wool remains in the yolk for a period of six months or a year, and then be scoured, it will yield a greater weight of clean wool than if washed when newly shorn; but in the process of fulling, the articles made from it become more loose and less uniform in their texture, are weaker, less durable, and, consequently, less valuable to the consumer. And here it is to be regretted that the interests of the wool-grower, of the manufacturer, and of the consumer, are not looked upon as the same.

The fibre of wool is known to consist of small capillary tubes filled with one kind of oil, regarded as the marrow, and is surrounded by another oil, or rather soap, commonly called the yolk. The latter, by weight, with other impurities, constitutes from 50 to 75 per cent. of the wool, and in some cases even more, according to its quality. The finer the wool the more abundant is the yolk. The solid part of the fibre is soluble neither in cold nor in hot water unless heated to a certain point. From 22 to 29 per cent., by weight, of the yolk, will readily dissolve in pure water of a temperature of 120° to 140° F., but not in a cold bath, even if it were to remain for three or four days; and in the ordinary process of scouring in Spain there is left of this substance in the wool from 4 to 7 per cent. That portion of the yolk which will dissolve in cold water, if suffered to remain on the fibre for a long time, causes it to "swell up," according to Vauquelin, "split, and lose its strength;" whereas, if it be removed by soaking the wool in cold water for twenty-four hours, and then subjecting it to a clear running stream, as practised in Spain, the part remaining will become indurated in time, converting itself, as it were, into new wool, and will tend to preserve rather than injure the fibre from the attacks of insects and from decay.

A contrariety of opinion appears to prevail with regard to the best mode of washing or scouring wool. One class of persons advocate washing it on the backs of the sheep; another in hot water; and a third class in a cold bath after it is shorn. The first mode is regarded by Messrs. Perrault de Jotemps and Girod, of the department of Ain, in France, as being often dangerous to the health of the sheep, and scouring in hot water as inexpedient, and, at the same time, injurious to its quality. The mode that they prefer is to allow the wool, as soon as shorn, to soak in pure cold water for a greater or less length of time, according to its degree of impurity, which, ordinarily, will not exceed twenty-four hours, and then subject it to a cool running stream in a similar manner as practised in Spain. Experience has taught them that, by this mode of scouring, the wool is of a better quality, and suffers much less by waste than by the hot water process; and, besides, as it contains a determinate quantity of yolk, or indurated oil, it enables both the buyer and the seller to judge more accurately

of its value, and ultimately requires from the manufacturer much less labor. The experience of others, however, in preparing wool for felts and the thicker kinds of cloth, would seem to justify the mode of scouring in Spain.

THE KENTUCKY SHEEP.

BY ROBERT W. SCOTT, OF FRANKLIN COUNTY, KENTUCKY.

Our native or common sheep being inferior both in carcass and fleece, and the imported larger varieties being o viously unprolific in this country, neither appeared to answer fully the wants and purposes of the Kentucky farmer. Reasoning by analogy some eighteen years ago, it appeared to me that the two might be blended in such a manner as to produce a cross breed which would be superior, for all our purposes, to either of the originals. The hardy and prolific qualities of our common sheep might be united with the large carcass and heavy fleeces of the imported. Acting upon this impression, a number of the best ewes were selected from a flock of common native sheep, and were bred to a very large and fine Saxony ram, the object being to give in the offspring more delicacy to the mutton, more thickness to the fleece, and more fineness to the staple of the wool. This step was thought advisable before uniting the coarse fleeces of the common sheep with the coarse and more open fleeces of the large imported varieties, and the effect was satisfactory. The ewe lambs of this cross were bred on the first of October, after they were one year old, to an imported Bakewell ram of large, full, round carcass, and long heavy fleece; the object being to increase in the offspring the weight of the carcass and the quantity of the wool. The ewe lambs of this last cross were also, in due time, bred to an imported Southdown ram of large size and high form; the object now being to infuse into the progeny that active, sprightly, and thrifty disposition, and highly-flavored and beautifully-marbled mutton, for which the Southdowns are so justly celebrated. This object was also successfully attained. The wethers of this cross were the delight of the epicure, while the value of the fleece was not diminished, as much being gained in the thickening of the staple of the wool as was lost in its length. The next cross was by a ram which seemed to possess in combination many of the qualities it was desired to establish and perpetuate in the flock.* He was three-fourths Cotswold and onefourth Southdown-a large, active, hardy sheep, with a thick, heavy fleece, and his progeny possessed the same qualities in an eminen degree.

The next two crosses were with full-blooded Cotswolds, and then with a fine full-blooded Oxfordshire of remarkable softness and silkiness of fleece. These were all large animals, with round barrels, broad backs, and full briskets. They added to the flock still more weight in

* The observant reader may ask whether a cross can be perpetuated or made permanent in a flock, or whether it may not " cry back," in the course of a few years, to one or other of the original forms?-D. J. B.

the carcass, while the beautiful appearance and delicate flavor of the mutton was not impaired. In the fall of 1853, a part of the flock was bred to an imported Cotswold ram, and the rest of the flock was bred to a Kentucky raised Cotswold ram directly descended from imported stock. It is from these crosses that the present stock of Kentucky sheep is composed. Their fleeces are soft, thick, and long, though not so long as the pure Cotswold; but they are much thicker, which gives them a perfect protection against the snows and cold winds and rains of winter and spring; the sheep being perfectly hardy, requiring no protection nor shelter, except what nature has thrown around them. The cross with our common or native sheep adapts them perfectly to the soil, climate, and grasses of this country, on which account, together with the frequent crossing, they are strangers to the diseases known to other flocks. The same native cross, I suppose, ensures in them a prolific character, which is sadly wanting in the large imported varieties, flocks of which are still comparatively rare here, though some indivi duals have been in the country over twenty years.

The Kentucky sheep rarely fail to raise as many lambs, in proportion to the number of ewes, as the common or native varieties, and sometimes more, though they have not had the advantage of a regular shepherd, or attendant. These sheep are also as thrifty as it is desired that they should be. In summer they are often moved from pasture to pasture, so that they may eat the weeds and grasses which have been refused by other stock; while in winter a short blue-grass pasture is all which they commonly require. When the lambs are coming in March and April, better pasture is given to the ewes; and they will become good mutton on grass alone after their lambs are weaned. They are even liable to get too fat to breed when their lambs are taken from them too early. They do not require grain at any age nor season of the year; and it has been more troublesome to keep them thin enough for breeding well than to make them fat enough for good mutton. The male lambs have generally been sold for breeding, but all inferior ones have always been castrated. Sixteen wethers of this description, of various ages from two to four years, were once partially grain-fed; but they were quickly bought by a sheep drover and farmer, before they were half fatted, at $15 a head. The weight of the fleece has been increased from time to time, until a yearling ram has sheared 141 pounds of wool in the grease, though that is more than the average of the flock. The wool appears to have sufficient gum and grease for the protection and health of the sheep; yet, there is so little of these, that the wool readily receives our domestic dyes without washing, and the manufacturer to whom I have generally sold it is in the habit of making it into linsey and jeans, without subjecting it previously to any purifying process.