BEST WAY OF FEEDING. 205 



sively practised than the raising of " early lambs," for the 

 reason, too common, that it is " less work." 



Other farmers have large pastures, cut a vast amount of hay, 

 feed their mowlands rather than cut a crop of rowen, which 

 is so essential to the success of the feeder of early lambs. 



Without a good crop of nice rowen hay, I should not 

 attempt to keep a nice flock of breeding ewes, much less 

 attempt to raise early lambs for market. 



I now propose to give you an account of the manner in 

 which most of our successful feeders fatten their sheep for 

 market. 



If the feeding sheep consist of " spring lambs," they are 

 put into the pens about the 1st of November, and com- 

 mence to feed with a light allowance of corn and oats, with a 

 little cotton-seed meal mixed. This feed is given the first 

 thing in the morning, then a ration of good early-cut hay, 

 fine or rowen, followed with a feed of coarser hay or straw 

 at or near noon. 



The sheep should be left to themselves after their last 

 feed, unmolested by any one. Do not allow any one to visit 

 the pens while the sheep are resting between their feeds. 



There is nothing that will so much prevent a sheep from lay- 

 ing on fat as to behold a strange man, with a huge buffalo, 

 wolf, or bearskin overcoat upon him, walking to and fro in 

 front of their pens. And I may say, that, among our success- 

 ful feeders, the practice of allowing any one to visit the sheep- 

 pens during the interim between feeds disappeared at about 

 the same time that they made the feeding of sheep a suc- 

 cess. 



Let the sheep rest until about four p.m., when they will go 

 quietly to the barn. Clean the racks of the coarse hay or 

 straw, giving the sheep a good bed, and then feed with grain, 

 as in the morning, following with a good feed of fine hay or 

 rowen. Shut your barn, and leave them for the night. 



The amount of grain should be increased as you advance 

 in feeding, until they will eat one quart each of half corn 

 and half cotton-seed meal mixed, at which point I should 

 stop increasing the amount of grain, but give them a few 

 turnips every day, and, if turnips are not at hand, then give 

 them mangolds, beets, or potatoes. 



Pure running water should always be accessible to the 



