184 State Boakd of Agkicultuke, &c. 



The ciitting of the hay in proper season and well curing 

 and storing the same, is one of the great essential points in 

 good sheep liusbandry. If from any cause we fail to do 

 this, our sheep the next spring are usually poor and weak, 

 and we have bad luck in raising land)S, the sole cause of 

 which is, that the sheep, during the winter, have been eat- 

 ing poor hay, and vainly endeavoring to ol)tain from the 

 same their necessary amount of nourishment which the hay 

 did not contain. Coarse and rank timothy makes fair sheep 

 hay if it is cut a few days before it begins to blossom and 

 is well cured. Nearly all kinds of low land and swamp 

 hay are good sheep hay if cut in season and well cured. 

 Sheep prefer a variety of good hay instead of being con- 

 fined to one kind only. 



Lambs should be weaned when they are four months old 

 and turned into good feed. If they are fed daily, in addi- 

 tion to good grass and hay, one pint of oats and shorts 

 apiece until they are turned out to grass the next spring, 

 they will have a good start towards making a sheep with a 

 good constitution. I believe it to be a fact that if we would 

 raise a sheep with a good constitution, we nmst supply them 

 liberally, during their growth, with that kind of food that 

 will furnish them with the necessary amount of bone, mus- 

 cle and strength. 



Sheep, and lambs in particular, should be housed during 

 cold storms in the fall, aud l:)e fed with hay, which they 

 should learn to eat before they are entirely deprived of 

 grass. All kinds of sheep, and breeding ewes in particu- 

 lar, should come to the barn in good condition in the fall. 

 This is necessary in order that they may ])e able to well 



