13G 



1. To study early laiiib in-oductiuu iu Alabama. 



2. To study feeds and iiietiiods for carrviua the 



pi-eguaut ewe tliruugli the Aviuter months. 



3. To test cotton seed meal as a feed for preg- 



nant ewes. 



♦By an early lamb the authors mean one that is born in 

 December or early January and ready for the market by the 

 middle oif April. Some farmers of the state are so for- 

 tunately situated that the second object Mill have litlle in- 

 terest to them, as they already have abundant winter range 

 supplied. The man who has a good winter range, or cane 

 brake, needs no additional feed for the ewes. All such an 

 ewe requires is care and attention and shelter at lambing 

 time. But when sheep are generally introduced into the 

 •state, they will be introduced by the small farmer who is 

 not supplied Avith an unlimited winter range. The small 

 farmer will therefore be interested in knowing what are the 

 best feeds for the winter months and the expense incurred 

 in carrying the animals over the cold months.- It might b ' 

 said, in ])assing, that the sheep is the ideal animal for the 

 man with the small capital. The business can be entered 

 into with but a small outlay of money and large returns 

 secured upon Hhe outlay within a feAv months after the 

 investment is made. The i^oor man cannot wait long for 

 tiis investment to begin to return dividends. The sheep and 

 the hog are the poor man's animals. Of course large 

 timounts of money can be invested in them if desirable. 



The work began in the summer of 1906 Avith the old flock 

 ■of ewes which had been kei)t upon tlie Station farm for 

 seA-eral years previous. This flock consisted of but 16 eAA'es, 

 of mixed breeding, headed by a ])ure-bred SouthdoAvn ram. 

 The pictures Avill show the general quality of the animals. 

 Later on, in 1007. there was a flock of. 30 scrub eAves added 

 to these, headed by a pure-bred Dorset ram. but the Station 

 is not yet ready to report ur>on the Avork done Avith this 

 «icrub flock, except with re«:poct to some Avinter woi-k in 

 cotton seed men! food in s. 



