394 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Mr. GooDALE. Have you had any experience in enriching lands 

 by putting on a large stock of sheep, and feeding them ? 



Mr. Gold. I have often heard it recommended, but have never 

 practiced it. I believe there is no more certain way to enrich lands 

 than by that method. I have known lands to be enriched by feed- 

 ing horses and mules in that manner, where they were waiting to 

 be shipped. The result has been wonderful in bringing up those 

 pastures to a ^jpniarkable degree of fertility. The same result 

 would follow from feeding sheep or any other animals in that way. 



Question. Would it not be an economical way of doing it, in 

 comparison with purchasing manure ? 



Mr. Gold. In purchasing grain, for food, I have estimated its 

 manurial value as a large item to be taken into account, in deciding 

 the question whether I could afford to buy it or not. If I co.uld 

 purchase grain, the manurial value of which is half what it costs 

 me, I should certainly' take that into account. In purchasing cot- 

 ton-seed meal, bran, and some articles of that kirrd, it is clearly 

 the case that you get one-half or two-thirds, even, of the cost of 

 the article in its manurial value ; you know the products which 

 you sell, and they do not carry it off. If you economize and save 

 your manures you get it upon your farm. In many cases there is 

 no cheaper way to procure manures than to buy them in this way. 



Question. Have you had any experience in pasturing different 

 kinds of cattle together, as sheep, cattle and horses ? 



Mr. Gold. My practice has been usually to confine the sheep 

 by themselves. There are some farmers, however, who advocate 

 pasturing the different classes of stock together. Mr. Blakeslee, 

 of Watertowri, an old farmer, who has kept a great many sheep 

 and cattle, turns a few Devon heifers with every flock of sheep, 

 and says that no dog will touch them. They lie together, become 

 familiar with each other, thrive together, and the cattle will not 

 allow a dog to conie near. That is his statement ; but as a general 

 rule, if there are many sheep kept in a cow pasture, they will make 

 it too short for the cows.' 



Question. What would be the effect of a few sheep, say one to 

 each animal ? 



Mr. Gold. The sheep would get excessively fat. You could not 

 fatten them any better than by adopting that practice. 



Question. Will sheep destroy thistles ? 



Mr. Gold. Sheep do not destroy thistles. Thistles are inclined 

 to increase in sheep pastures, both the common thistle and the 



