The Shepherd's Kalendar 



253 



" stocking," which is at all times safe and economical. 

 As so much diversity of opinion exists as to the most 

 profitable and suitable breed of sheep for this district, 

 and as our subject does not deal with the breed but 

 with the management of sheep, I will not venture on 

 this head ; but merely add that, after upwards of 

 twenty years' experience, during which time I have 

 tried several distinct breeds and crosses, I have 

 found upon my farm that Leicesters can be laid much 

 thicker on the ground, a much greater quantity of 

 both mutton and ^\-ool to the acre than any other 

 breed ; the only drawback that I have observed is, 

 that they are light milkers, and, therefoi-e, not adapted 

 for purposes of selling lambs off fat to the butcher, or 

 as stores in autumn. 



Nmemba: — Assuming that the soft turnips are 

 finished, and that the feeding sheep and hoggets are 

 now on swedes, which during tliis and the following 

 months should be lifted, and that portion which is 

 intended to be consumed on the land should be pitched 

 or carted into small conical heaps, of about one-and- 

 a-half ordinary cart loads each, fonned at equal dis- 

 tances — i.e., if the land is of uniform quality throughout 

 the field ; but, if the soil should vaiy materially, then the 

 heaps should be dispersed with due regard to this, so 

 that the succeeding grain crop should vary as little as 

 possible, and, if cake or corn is given, the troughs 

 should be placed on the poorest part of the field. In 

 storing the root crop, the distance at which the rows 

 of heaps should be placed ought to be regulated by 



the magnitude of the flock, so that they pretty well 

 occupy the distance from row to row, and the straw 

 which has covered the preceding row of heaps should be 

 nicely spread over the ground on the opposite side of 

 the break to that on which the troughs must, for the 

 sake of convenience, necessarily be placed, in order 

 that that portion may be equally as well manured as 

 the opposite side. In the days of cattle plague, when 

 it was a difficult matter to get straw converted into 

 manure, I used that article liberally for littering the 

 breaks, with great advantage to the succeeding crop. 

 Whilst on this subject, it may not be out of place to 

 allude to the practice of wintering sheep in yards, 

 although the system seems somewhat unnatural. When, 

 unfortunately, obliged to adopt this plan, I found that 

 sheep were disinclined to leave the yard when allowed 

 to do so, that they consumed much less food than when 

 in the fields, and that they made mutton rapidly ; but 

 the great objection to this course was the difficulty in 

 keeping them sound. Manure made under sheep is of 

 unifonn and superior quality. 



December. — The treatment of the flock generally 

 will not differ much from that of last month. The 

 ewes may be allowed to range over swede land, now 

 cleared of roots, and feed upon the tops, saving the 

 expense of carting, which at all times looks to me 

 injudicious management. During stormy weather, 

 give cotton or rapecake, whichever is cheapest, for I 

 have found them of about equal value for feeding or 

 milk-producing purposes. 



