330 ox THE ECONOMICAL USE OF TUENIPS 



where this is not done the manure can be pretty equally dis- 

 tributed if sheep-feeders will only take the by no means 

 ■oppressive trouble of removing the troughs a little every day or 

 every alternate day. 



Cut Fodder ivith Turnips as a Diet for SJieej). 



We have already indicated in a general way the plan which 

 we advocate as a substitute for that of giving nothing except 

 turnips to sheep. It consists in withholding about one-half of 

 the turnips usually given to sheep, and of substituting therefor 

 from 1 lb. to l-J lbs. of cut fodder, hay, straw, or chaff. The 

 cutting of the bulbs is not an indispensible condition of this 

 •system, for some feeders who fold their liocks upon the unlifted 

 bulbs practically restrict the quantity of turnips consumed by 

 each animal by inducing the sheep to eat a considerable allow- 

 ance of cut fodder, wdiich is generally mixed with dry concen- 

 trated food of an inviting and palatable character, such as oats, 

 peas, and cake. 



As a specimen, we may quote the system adopted by Mr 

 Craig, Monkton Hill, Ayr, with a fifteen score lot of three-year 

 old blackfaced wethers. At first they were folded on the turnip 

 land during the day, being turned off to old lea land at night. 

 At six o'clock A.M. — that is immediately before they were 

 admitted to the turnip field — an allowance of 1 lb. per head 

 of dry food was given. This supplemental food consisted of 

 cut hay, cut corn sheaves, bruised Indian corn, and brewers' 

 grains — about equal quantities of each. After the sheep were 

 turned on to the lea field the same allowance was ^iven to 

 them. By and bye the wethers had their turnips carted to 

 them on the pastures, and had a ^ lb. of decorticated cotton 

 cake added to their dry mixture. This is simply an example 

 of a system, subject to many changes and modifications, in which 

 the sheep made the most satisfactory progress. 



But for the reasons already advanced it is preferable to uplift 

 and break up the bulbs either by cutting them in a hand sheep- 

 slicer or to smash them into a pulp by a pulper driven either by 

 power or by hand. Where the turnip-slicer is used, from 10 lbs. 

 to 12 lbs. of turnips for each sheep are given in three or four 

 meals in troughs daily, and the cut fodder is supplied in 

 separate troughs at least twice each day. From 20 lbs. to 

 24 lbs. of such roots would be consumed by an average half- 

 bred lamb within the twenty-four hours if dependent upon 

 them alone ; and thoroughly experienced sheep-feeders on the 

 southern side of the Border testify that one-half of these quan- 

 tities are quite sufficient where about 1 lb. of bulky dry food is 

 given, especially when some additional concentrated food, such 



