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winter shelter for sheep need cost but a comparatively small fraction of 

 that required to furnish comfort to other farm stock. Given any shelter, 

 which is dry under foot and over head, with freedom from draughts, and 

 we need not trouble about the cold of winter. Lambing should not be 

 before the middle of April to the first of May. Therefore warm quarters 

 are not required at any time. Lambs dropped late in spring require less 

 care, are usually ready to go right on and grow, as the grass which is 

 then ready, or nearly so, gives the ewes a chance to nurse well. That 

 prevents stunting in early age, and gives a good chance to have heavy, 

 fleshy and fully-developed lambs ready for the market in view. Late 

 lambing allows cheaper winter feeding of the ewe flock. Plenty of good, 

 well-saved pea straw with clover hay and two or three pounds of cut tur- 

 nips daily to each sheep will bring the flock through the winter successfully. 

 Fresh water daily and the salt box always are indispensable. Should a 

 ewe fall off in condition, one pound daily of mixed bran and oats is safe 

 and tends to a surer flow of milk at lambing time. Such little attentions 

 prevent disease and troubles of different kinds. In winter an occasional 

 feed of mixed bran and oats, in which two ounces for each sheep of 

 Epsom salts are well mixed, has a tendency to ward off disease. Lambs 

 when a week old should be docked, leaving not more than an inch of the 

 stump. When three weeks old ram lambs should be castrated. Lack of 

 attention to these two details yearly costs our Province thousands upon 

 thousands of dollars. 



It is a debatable question whether it is more profitable to wash before 

 shearing or sell the wool in the dirt. Much depends on conditions of 

 convenience, etc. With the present yeat 's discrimination in tavoi of 

 wool washed before shearing, were it attended to as soon as the weather 

 is warm enough, and there is a good convenient place for washing, there 

 is no doubt but that washing on the sheep's back is more profitable, but 

 there is some danger to men and sheep, also the chance of delay waiting 

 for warm weather. Because of those chances it is a safer rule to shear 

 in the dirt and take the market price for the unwashed article. Soon 

 after shearing it is well, because profitable, to dip all the ewes and lambs 

 so as to destroy ticks, and clean the skin. To insure comfort tor the flock 

 in winter a second dipping in the early fall will stop all tendency of the 

 sheep to rub in the pens. 



Maggots caused by flies blowing in wet or dirty places near the tail 

 or head is not a common trouble here in summer, yet it is not unknown. 

 A strong solution of McDougall's Dip, or probably of any of the dips, 

 will destroy them. Grub in the head is an ailment prevalent in some 

 localities in the opinion of some. A preventive is said to be found in 

 smearing the nostrils with pine tar occasionally in the early summer 

 months. Sometimes sheep become very lame. Examination reveals an 

 excessive growth of toes and possibly an accumulation of dirt enclosed. 

 A shortening of the toes by the use of the toe clipper soon affords relief. 

 It is a good practice to clip all the older animals' toes at shearing time, 



