480 



THE FARMER»S MAGAZINE. 



sorting to and trying the other varieties of artificial 

 foods. Carib beans, for instance, in moderate rations 

 (of which the experiments would soon determine the 

 quantity to be given, but of which I have no expe- 

 rience), millers' offal, inferior rice, sprouted and inferior 

 grain, malt-comb, brewers' grains, cotton-seed cake, and 

 any other well-authenticated feeding stuffs, might with 

 advantage be used ; which, together with the rations I 

 have named, and straw in plenty, both to eat and for 

 laira^e, would cause the sheep to pass through the 

 winter profitably. All sheep-breeders and flockmasters 

 have their own peculiar modes of wintering their sheep. 

 My suggestions are only intended to put them upon 

 economising their food in this year of scarcity, and to 

 induce them to adopt and freely use, as efficient aids, 

 some of the other kinds of food I have named, and to 

 make such other dispositions in their management as to 

 them seems best for the welfare of their flocks. 



In the present depressed state of the corn market, it 

 would appear that inftrior wheat might be purchased, 

 and used as feeding stuff for sheep, with advantage. If 

 so, it should be ground and given with cut chaff, at the 

 rate of Jib. each of meal per day. On no account should 

 whe^t be given, to any extent, in its green state. Its 

 tendency is to swell greatly in the stomach, which will 

 frequently cause death to ensue. This is not the case 

 with other grain, to any injurious extent; but beans 

 and peas should most certainly be reduced to meal be- 

 fore they are given. Inferior barley or oats may be 

 given in larger rations than I have named above. 



My own course occasionally has been, to make a 

 mixture of each kind of grain, including inferior wheat, 

 and to give about half a pint per day each. It saves a 

 little trouble, and, taking a flock together, is the more 

 healthy way, each animal having the opportunity to 

 select the food which instinct dictates to be best. 



The season for storing mangolds has been very good ; 



and it is probable they will come out in fine condition 

 in the spring, which is, in truth, the only time when 

 they ought to be used for sheep : certainly, they must 

 not be given to lambs before the month of March, unless 

 the weather is very fine and dry. The abundance of 

 water contained in these roots will otherwise cause great 

 scouring and looseness of body. It will, therefore, be 

 wise to consume all other green food before these are 

 resorted to; and if they can be r.pared till March, they 

 then become very valuable, and are almost synonymous 

 with, or equal to, turning to first grass, the great re- 

 storer of all stock. 



It is the general custom for the corn merchants, in 

 the neighbourhood from which I write, to make excel- 

 lent feeding mixtures of corn, consisting of tailing 

 wheat, tbin barley, and a few oats, with a slight addition 

 of beans and peas. This mixture is sold by the stone- 

 weight, and is much sought after for pigs and sheep, 

 and occasionally for horses. In the present season they 

 will undoubtedly have plenty of thin " wheats and 

 barleys," so that abundance of these mixings may be 

 obtained at a moderate price ; and, truly, they do consti- 

 tute excellent feeding stuffs, and have my full recom- 

 mendation. 



We have great reason for thankfulness for the fine 

 open weather of the past three weeks. It has caused a 

 great improvement in the growth of our green crops, 

 and enabled us to secure tlie crops of mangolds in ad- 

 mirable order. Swedes have increased much in weight, 

 and are still growing favourably. Coleseed has sur- 

 prisingly advanced in growth and quality. The common 

 turnip also partakes of the improvement. We there- 

 fore trust that, notwithstanding the manifest scarcity, 

 we shall, by the adoption of strict economy, and the use 

 of every artificial aid, be able to bring our stock satis- 

 factorily through the coming winter, 



P. F. 



HIGHLAND CATTLE AND BLACK-FACED SHEEP.— THE 

 DUMFRIES FARMER'S SOCIETY. 



" It was a most fortunate event that crossing in 

 cattle and sheep in Scotland had taken place, for there 

 was many a district which would have paid no rent 

 had there been no cross." It is something more than 

 four years since, that we heard this remark made at a 

 discussion-meeting held in the capital of the High- 

 lands. And now there has just been another gathering 

 in the pretty little town of Inverness, the great object 

 of which was to protest against this plan of crossing; 

 or, at any rate, to discountenance any undue favour for 

 i,cw breeds and varieties, to the prejudice of those so 

 long identified v.'ith the district. The Highlands, in 

 fact, would appear to be losing some of their most cha- 

 racteristic features. The rough, shaggy, picturesque 

 mountain ox, and the active, curly-horned, black- 



faced sheep are gradually giving way before the Short- 

 horn and the Cheviot. Or, if not actually driven forth, 

 they are being crossed out of their native purity, and 

 in this state put to a manifestly unfair comparison. 

 The Inverness Farmers' Society has determined, after 

 a lengthy debate, " that we should have been better off 

 had our energies been more directed to improving the 

 black-faced sheep and Highlanders." 



The line of argument ran much in this way : — The 

 native Highland cattle and sheep will live on little or 

 nothing more than what they can find on the hill. They 

 will eat heather, and the Shorthorns will not. W^hile 

 they are thus still left to " rough it," the new breeds 

 are pampered and housed, although it was maintained 

 their own beasts could pay quite as well for more food 



