r*j2 On the Management of Sheep May 



the hay and feeds may not fall among the wool of their necks, 

 which would fret the fheep by caufnig them to fcratch. 



It is obferved that hay feeds the flieep fafter than fucculent 

 grafs, and caufes them to drink more. In the cold weather they 

 are led t\nce each day to a running flream, wheve they drink, 

 but very little at a time ; if they happen to get at water which is 

 lefs cold, they are apt to drink too much. A^ all times the fhep- 

 herds carefully a\'oid haraffing them with long or hafty journeys, 

 or teazing them with dogs ; and, when in the cots, they take care 

 that they be not over crowded ; they give them frefli litter fre- 

 quently ; and fait daily to the pregnant ewes, and to fuch as are 

 giving fuck. 



The {hepherds always milk the ewes after the lambs hav^ 

 fucked : a hundred ewes give about twenty-four Englifh pints of 

 jnilk each day, which is made into cheefe ; this quantity of milk, 

 however, diminiflies gradually as the ewes come nearer to the 

 time of rutting, which is in July ; and, when the milk grows 

 fcarce, it is mixed with the milk of goats and cows ; but they 

 •allege that the cheefe made of this mixture is not fo good as 

 that which is made from the unmixed ewe milk. 



Summer Management, 



The fummcr cares of the fhepherd are different from thofe 

 above defcribed. Whenever the fnow is melted, and the grafs 

 begins to vegetate, the flock is driven to the hills ; there the wed- 

 ders, ewes and lambs feed together on a fine fliort grafs, which 

 is in fuch abundance as not to require travelling over much to 

 procure it. Every evening the flock is gathered into a fold, 

 near which Hands a cottage where the fhepherd dwells. When 

 the pafture of one diilricl: is exhaufted, the flock is condu£led to 

 another, where a fimilar fold and cottage are ready for the recep- 

 tion of the flock and its guide. * No fodder is dillributed to the 

 flock in the nights of fummer, while in the fold, the only care 

 being to watch againft the depredations of the wolf and the bear j 

 for which purpofe a large dog conflantly prowls round the en- 

 clofure. This animal is taken great care of, on account of his 

 ufefulnefs, and is plentifully fed with bread and milk. 



It is cuftomary to give the flock fait every day while it remains 

 on the fummer pafture j but the quantity given is regulated by 

 certain circumftances : If the grafs is hard and dry ; if the 

 heat of the weather is very great, or if the (heep feem to have 

 loft their appetite for food, as much fait as can be taken up with 



both 



* This cullom refemblcs ihc Jbeelin^s in ihe Scotifh Highland?^ 



