AWAEDS OF PEEMIUMS. 29 



ish Ewes well washed, average from 5 and a-lialf to 6 lbs. per 

 head; somethmg owing to the dryness of our summers and keep 

 through winter. 



French wool sells a little quicker than Spanish, as it is freer 

 from natural oil, and therefore the manufactories choose it as the 

 shrinkage in cleansing is less ; the price varies ; last year the 

 average was 55, this year from 38 to 40 cents per lb. The num- 

 ber of Ewes that bring lambs that are served are 96 to 100 ; the 

 number usually raised, that are dropped, is 96 to 98, to 100 ; 

 the number of lambs raised to the whole number of Ewes is 

 from 100 to 110, to 100 Ewes. Last spring I raise 110 to every 

 100 Ewes, seldom or never failing of raising as many lambs as 

 I have Ewes that are served ; but I do not consider twin lambs 

 any advantage, as but very few Ewes are capable of raising 

 more than one lamb right, and therefore twin lambs never make 

 as good sheep as single ones. 



As I never sell any to the butcher, I cannot tell what they 

 would bring ; not because they are unsalable as mutton, but 

 because they sell for much larger prices for stock sheep for 

 wool growing purposes. But as their carcasses, when fattened, 

 are as large as most of the coarse wooled mutton sheep, I 

 think they would bring equally as large prices, or produce as 

 much mutton and tallow. 



My losses in wintering never exceed 2 to the 100, and often 

 fall short of that. I think fine wooled sheep winter much easier 

 and with much less loss than coarse. Between French and 

 Spanish I consider no great difterence in wintering; but 

 think the crosses winters better and easier than either. 



My method of wintering is as follows : — I put my sheep into 

 substantial sheds, built exclusively for that purpose, with com- 

 modious yards built upon the south side, and have living water 

 in every yard. I feed my sheep plenty of good hay and some 

 oats and carrots, as I consider coarse light grain is better for 

 such, especially lambs. I feed, occasionally, to my ewes when 

 they are suckling, oil cake, shorts, rye meal, etc., as I consider 

 a change of food often to be better for sheep. I do not keep my 

 sheep confined in the sheds, only in our most cold and severe 

 weather, as I think exercise essential to health, and a healthy 



