'j^ BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



brother and one for myself. That is what the sheep have done, 

 or the lambs, and that is why I have the courage to stand here 

 and talk to you about them. 



There have been two branches of the sheep industry which 

 we have followed. The first is, where we buy the lambs and 

 fat them ; but, of course, there is more profit in having the lambs 

 born on your own farm, and feeding them to fatten them, than 

 there is to buy them outside. It is much better to do that on 

 the farm than it is to go to the trouble and expense of finding 

 and purchasing the lambs. I am going to talk to you about 

 that in the first place. Of course, one of the most impor- 

 tant things is to make sure that the flock is well taken care of, 

 but it is hardly necessary for me to say much about that now. 

 Mr. Harris has discussed that question. I am glad that Mr. 

 Harris has given you the good instruction he has about the 

 care and breeding of the flock. That is a very important point. 

 That is what we believe in, and what we try to do; that the 

 ewes especially shall be strong and well nourished when they 

 go into winter quarters. If the ewes are strong and in good 

 condition, you will have strong lambs when they are born. 

 Of course, in that connection the question of feeding is an 

 important one. I feed some rape, and approve of it, the same 

 as does Mr. Harris. I do not feed it quite so long as he does, 

 because I do not have quite so much feed. Besides rape I have 

 to have some dry clover hay. We want the ewes to be strong 

 and well nourished, and not fat like this quarter which Mr. 

 Harris exhibited to you. Ewes for breeding purposes should 

 not breed too fat. You want them to be well nourishe4 and 

 strong, but not too fat, and then when the lambs are born they 

 will be strong. I believe what he says is all right about their 

 taking a walk out doors every day and having plenty of exer- 

 cise. Sheep, of course, as he says, need plenty of air, but I 

 would like to tell you that our barns are so built that they are 

 almost like out of doors. We have them so arranged that 

 clear along on one side is a raised door, or a door which is 

 attached by hinges at the top, and which we can raise or lower 

 at will. Then if the wind blows from that side we can close 

 down that side and protect the flock, and give them plenty of 

 ventilation from the other side. Or if there is a regular bliz- 

 zard we can close down both sides and ventilate from overhead, 

 and so protect the flock from chilling winds. Our sheep are 



