40 



ing States. My sheep receive but little attention from the time of shear- 

 ing, which is usually about the middle of June, through the summer and 

 fall, although I always intend to give them good pasturage, and salt 

 them every week. Sheep require but little water in the summer. Some- 

 time.s I have them in a pasture with plenty of water, and sometimes not 

 any. They thrive as well in one case as the other, for aught that I can 

 see. But in the winter they will drink more or less every day, and 

 should have it constantly by them. I keep my sheep in separate yards 

 in winter — not over one hundred in each — and attached to each yard I 

 have a shed of sufficient size, so that all can lie down in it, and con- 

 structed in such a manner that they will be entirely protected from the 

 storms. In case of a bad storm, (especially a rain storm,) I shut them 

 in the sheds, for I consider it better for them to go without food for 

 twenty-four hours, than be exposed to a bad storm. In winter, I keep 

 my yards and sheds well littered with straw, so as to have them all the 

 time dry and clean. I feed my sheep with the best of hay — it cannot be 

 too good — in common box racks, giving them a little at a time, and 

 usually three times in the course of the day ; but I never feed them after 

 dark, nor before light in the morning, as they do much better to be kept 

 as quiet as possible, and sheep are very much afraid of a lantern or 

 light. I have formerly fed but little grain to my sheep, but I find by 

 experience that I get better paid for my grain in feeding it to my sheep 

 than in any other way, for it costs but little more to winter a flock partly 

 on grain and partly upon hay, than it does to give them hay alone. 

 They will thrive much better with a little grain, and shear enough more 

 wool to pay for it. I think barley and oats mixed in equal quantities, 

 gowed together, and fed in the straw is a very profitable kind of feed. I 

 give my sheep a little sulphur occasionally through the winter, mixed 

 with salt. It is an excellent plan to give sheep some kind of roots occa- 

 sionally through the winter, especially towards spring ; beets, carrots 

 and turnips, are all good. Sheep, at first, will not always eat them rea- 

 dily ; but if they are cut fine, and a little corn meal put on to them a 

 few times, they will very soon learn to eat them. 



•'I intend to have my lambs come about the first of May ; as that is 

 about as early as we usually have grass. I find that those of my lambs 

 that come the first of May, are larger in the autumn than those that come 

 in March, unless the ewes have a good deal of extra feed, to make them 

 give milk. By haying my lambs come as late as the first of May, I find 



