No. 51. J 259 



Mr. NoTT observed that as he did not keep a large flock of sheep, 

 his own mode of management might not be the one in all respects 

 best adapted to every other person. In the way he kept his sheep, they 

 cost him but a trifle, and their produce therelore, was almost clear gain. 

 They were pastured considerably in the woodlands, through the sum- 

 mer ; and in early spring and in the fall, his practice was to let them 

 run on the winter grain. This was, with him, considerable of an ob- 

 ject ; and he was in the habit of sowing his wheat and rye early, that 

 they might get a good start, and afford the more feed. He thought 

 no injury resulted from thus pasturing sheep on grain — on the con- 

 trary, he believed the crop was sometimes improved by this means, 

 and gave a better yield. 



Mr. N. stated that it was his practice to let the buck run at all 

 times with the sheep ; and on this point he was well awkre that he 

 should generally be pronounced heterodox. Nevertheless, he has 

 had good success from the practice ; and though the lambs sometimes 

 came in cold weather, he seldom lost them. He thought sheep 

 were more hardy reared in this way, than when the lambs were not 

 allowed to come till May, 



On another point, Mr, N. said he presumed he should be pronoun- 

 ced also heterodox ; and that was, in regard to the time when the 

 sheep 'should have the most nutritious food given them. He thought 

 they needed it most in the fore part of the winter ; and it was, there- 

 fore, at that time that he gave them turneps, &c,, if he had any, 

 whether he had enough to feed them through the winter or not. For 

 winter food, Mr, N. is greatly in favor of bean-haulm, which he 

 thinks is altogether better for sheep than any kind of hay — except- 

 ing, perhaps, the best of clover. He thought that on land suited to 

 beans, they were the most profitable, considering their whole value, 

 of any crop that could be grown for sheep His sheep are of the 

 South-down breed and their crosses, which, from their hardiness and 

 excellent meat, he thinks most profitable for his purposes. 



Mr. N. continued his remarks at considerable length ; and con- 

 cluded by calling on the President to favor the meeting with the re- 

 sult of his experience in the management of sheep. 



The President (Dr. Beekman,) in reply to the call made upon 

 him by Mr. Nott, proceeded to give his views on sheep husbandry — 

 views deduced from his management of considerable flocks, in con- 

 nection with other farming, for a series of years. In giving his 

 views on those subjects, said the President, the last speaker commen- 

 ced by observing that in some things he might be pronounced hetero- 

 dox ; but he has given us a clear and succinct history of his practice, 

 and in most of his remarks, I thought him orthodox. His hetero- 

 doxy, if I may apply that term to a difference in practice on these 

 matters, may, in my opinion, be found in two or three points. First, 

 he turns his sheep into woody pasture — I mine into open ones ; be- 

 cause I had learned that one blade of grass grown in the sun, has the 

 nutriment in it of five grown in the shade. Second, he keeps his buck 

 with the sheep during the entire year — I mine only during the month 

 of December ; because my experience has taught me that lambs com- 



