460 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Do€. 



water iu the stable while the lamb is very young, and under these 

 conditions we can better determine the amount thev will consume. 

 During recent years it has been our practice to clip our ew^es as 

 soon as posible after the lambing season, and we have been well 

 satisfied with the result. The W'ool presents a much better ap- 

 pearance and is free from weak spots. It is well known that it is 

 diflScult to keep a good milking ewe from going down in flesh, and 

 this is sure to weaken the strength of the staple. The ewes must 

 necessarily be stabled much of the times, and the lambs soon begin 

 to tramp over them when lying, which soils and injures the wool. 

 We clip without washing, and select a mild spell of weather for 

 doing it, and when thej' have been clipped for a few days a cold 

 flurry does not seem to affect them; but if out when a rain comes, 

 they rapidly gather to the shed, and this is a decided advantage 

 to the lambs, as they will often remain out, if not clii)i)ed. until 

 the lambs are very cold. After clipping, both the ewes and lambs 

 seem to Improve more rapidly. 



In the foregoing we have no thought of having touched upon 

 all the important points connected with this subject, neither indeed, 

 any considerable number of tliem, for such an attempt would not 

 be practicable under present conditions; and will only say further, 

 that successful sheep husbandry, like everything else, dei)ends 

 largely upon strict attention to little details. It is just as essential 

 how we feed, as what we feed, and the utmost regularity should be 

 observed. Sheej) are sensitive creatures, and will announce their 

 observance of irregularity by restlessness, which means wear on 

 their system and loss of flesh. And the more regular and syste- 

 matic we are in their management the less food it will take to keep 

 them in good condition, and the shepherd be the better able to 

 realize the full benefit from turning it into growth and high priced 

 mutton of early maturity. 



MR. MARTIN: What did you get a pound for those lambs? 



MR. BURNS: I marketed lambs last week that I received seven 

 and a half cents a pound for; the week before I received eight and 

 a half cents. Now, of course, we have reached the pasture time, 

 when lambs are coming into market rapidly. We have a special 

 market for all the produce we raise on the farm, and for the lambs 

 also, but we do not consider this an extravagant price. We have a 

 neighbor who raised market lambs, and he disposed of his lambs at 

 prices ranging from 12-^ to 15 cents a pound. If you raise lambs 

 earlier than the regular season, you should look for a better price. 



MR. HALL: What market did you place them in? 



MR. BURNS: I sold them to the butcher located midwav between 



