California Farmer and Journal of Useful Sciences, Volume 34, Number 14, 13 October 1870 — SPANISH MERINOS IN THE SOUTH. [ARTICLE]

SPANISH MERINOS IN THE SOUTH.

Mr. Richard Peters, of Atlanta, Go., writes to the Rural Carolinian that in tbe year 1847, he purchased a farm in Gordon county, in order to try sheep raising in connection with other sto k. He obtained a flock of one hundred selected native ewes. They proved to be unprofitable, subject to disease, and not calculated for keeping in large flocks. He disposed ol them after a three years' trial, and purchased at high prices specimens of the improvtd English breeds, including tbe Cotswolds, Leicusters, New Otrordsaires, and Southdowns. He bred them pure, and crossed tbem witb the native sbeep. The result was neither profitable nor satisfactory. .They appeared to thrive well for a year or two ; they then gradually became unhealthy, more especially during tbe summer months' In tbe year 1859 he purchased a flock of pure bred Spanish Merino?, and from that day to this be bas been remarkably successful. Ills flock has increased to upwards ot threehundred head, and he desires to increase it to a thousand head. Tbey have continued perfectly healthy, are easily managed, and yield annually an average of seven to eight pounds of wool per head, Until he adopted the Merinos he could seldom find in his Sock a sheep fut enough for mutton, in April last he sold to the butchers in Atlanta a lot of gr.iss-fed two-year old wethers, pronounced lo be the best mmton brought to tbe city during tbe season. He obtaiued for tbem $6.5(1 per head after being sheaied. The cro=s between the Spanish Meriuo and the native sheep has been tried by a number of persons in the Soutbero States, and all agree as to the superiority of the half-bloods, as compared with the native sbeep, both in the quantity and quality of the fleece, and in their size, vigor, and rapidity ol growto. Chesteb White Pigs. Chester while pigs are known by their white color, great hngth and depth of carcass, small heads and offal parts, capacity for growing to a large size, attaining to the great weight of 600 to 700 pound-. They are estimated to make one pound per day till two years old, and have been killed weighing over 800 pounds. One was exhibited in Philadelphia last winter, as we are informed, lhat weighed over 1000 pounds. But farmers do not value so much these growtby animals, preferring a hog which will weigh 350 to 450 pounds. Wi'.h nn equal amount of food, the Chester county hog will probably make more and better pork than any other breed of hogs. For facility of fattening, tbtjj are said to be unequalled by any otLer large breed,— Farm, Block and Poultry Journal.