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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



closure for the flock and for the shepherd's convenience 

 at night. 



4th, Give the shepherd a phial of laudanum, a phial 

 of gin, a bit of cord, and a small, long hook. 



5th, Keep the lambing paddock clean, dry, and free 

 from every taint likely to cause infection of any kind. 



6th, Let the ewes be fed with great regularity, and 

 on the same food — no changes — roots, corn, cake, 

 straw, &c. 



7th, Do not permit dogs or strangers to be amongst 

 the flock at this season. Nothing like quiet. 



8th, Direct the shepherd to devote liis whole time to 

 the ewe-flock, and to be constantly with them. 



9th, When a ewe makes a presentation, she must be 

 examined in due time. If all right, give her plenty of 

 time. If the labour becomes prolonged, let the shep- 

 herd take the lamb away — i. e., lay the ewe gently on 

 her side, take hold of the feet of the lamb, and gently 

 draw it forward. If a wrong presentation takes place, 

 the shepherd must take his little hook or his finger, in- 

 sert it, and draw forward the foot, head, &c. The cord 

 is to place on the foot, &c., to prevent its being drawn 

 in, to undergo fresh pain in bringing it forward. He 

 must, with great care, draw forward such parts as he 

 can lay hold of, and use his best j udgment as to his 

 course in completing the delivery. It is a most danger- 

 ous practice to push back the lamb, to be turned in the 

 pouch of the dam. 



10th, After a prolonged labour, give a small table- 

 spoonful of laudanum to the ewe. Confine her in a 



warm lambing-pen. In a few hours give her a pint- 

 possett of milk, sweetened with treacle. 



11th, If fever intervenes, give her two ounces of 

 castor-oil, and in a few hours half-an-ounce of sweet 

 nitre ; and continue the possett, or gruel made of flour 

 and water, sweetened, and sweet spirits of nitre, as long 

 as required. 



12th, Let her food be simple and nutritious — not 

 cold mangolds, turnips, or cabbage, but chaff and roots 

 mixed. 



13th, Never, except in the greatest extremity, use 

 lambing-oils to the bearing, and then very mild ones. 



14th, Separate the ewes and lambs from the general 

 flock as soon as convenient, and take them to pastures 

 or seeds properly laid- in and prepared for them. 



15th, The lambs require great attention throughout. 

 In protracted cases they are often dead or greatly hurt. 

 Suckle them very slightly at first, but frequently : in 

 their exhausted state, they cannot bear fatigue. Clear 

 the ewe's udder of wool. See that they can and do freely 

 suckle. Keep them warm and dry. 



16th, When lambs are starved down, either warm 

 them at the fire, holding their nostrils for an instant 

 close to the warmth — lay them before it, under a 

 slight cover ; or give them a warm bath. A warm 

 dungheap will suffice, if not too warm to breathe. A 

 mouthful of warm gin and milk is good. Cows' new 

 milk is mostly too strong for young lambs : dilute it. 



Lastly, The master must be often there. 



ALDERMAN MECHPS AGRICULTURAL CATECHISM. 



ESPECIALLY ADDRESSED TO HEAVY-LAND FARMERS. 



I have received many letters from practical farmers desiring 

 to know how I can pay myself a high rent, and make, besides, 

 a satisfactory tenant's profit, at the present low prices of corn. 

 I find, on inquiry, that many of those farmers are placed in an 

 unfavourable and profitless condition, as compared with my- 

 self, for want of those improvements and advantages which I 

 possess, and for which my increased rental is charged. In 

 order that farmers may compare their own position with 

 mine, I have propounded the following questions, which I 

 have answered, and which each farmer can reply to, and thus 

 compare his practice and position with mine : — 



How much do you suppose the landlord's investment is per 

 acre in the purchase and improvement of the land which you 

 occupy ? — About £60 per acre. 



What rent do you pay per acre ? — 42s. 



How much is your working capital per acre ? — £14. 



How much is your gross produce per acre. I mean the 

 total amount received for produce sold, without any deduction 

 of expenses? — £11 15s. 



What are your total expenses per acre, including purchased 

 food and manures, but irrespective of horse-keep, which I as- 

 sume is furnished by the farm?— £9 lis. 8d. 



Gross Expenses per Acre on the whole Farm. 



£ 3. d. 



Rent.. .. ,, .„ ,0 ., 36s. > 2 o 



Irrigation .. .. ., .. .. 6s. J 



Tithes (great and small) 5 



Church rate .. .. .. .. .. ..002 



Road rate 003 



Poor rate, including police and county rate . . 2 3 



Manual labour, including engine-driver and bailiflf 2 

 Horse labour (fed from the farm), 208. 



Seed 8 6 



Depreciation, or wear and tear of implements . . 2 

 Steam power .. .. ., ., ..050 



Blacksmith, wheelwright, cooper, founder, saddler, T 



basket-maker, bricklayer, carpenter, and veterin- 1-0 5 6 



ary J 



Thatcher 1 



Depreciation of horses . . . . . . ..020 



Artificial manures (guano) ., .. .. .. 10 



Wear, tear, and loss of sacks . . . . . . 3 



Bean tiers .. .. .. .. .. ..003 



Loss of stock and casualties .. .. .. 10 



Loss of lands by roads, buildings, fences, and wa^ite 2 

 Road mending, ditch cleaning, fence trimming, &c. 10 

 Miscellaneous petty expenses . . . . . . 16 



Malt and hops used in brewing beer for men . . 2 

 Purchased food for stock . , . . . . ..300 



£9 11 8 



How much permanent grass have you per 100 acres ? — 4 

 acres. 



Has your landlord drained the land ? — Yes. 



Has he put up farm buildings in a central part of the farm, 

 affording ample covered shelter for live stock and manure, 

 with tanks for economising liquid manure ? — Yes. 



Is there agood farmer's residence ? — Yes. 



Are there good roads on the farm ? — Yes. 



Is any portion irrigated by water and gravitation ? — No. 



Is any portion laid down with subterraneous iron pipes for 

 irrigation with water and with farm sewage, by hose jet and 

 steam power?— Yes, the whole farm. 



Is there a fixed or portable steam-engine ? — A fixed en- 

 gine. 



Does the steam-engine work a thrashing and dressing ma- 

 chhie?— Yes. 



A chaff-cutter ?— Yes. 



An oil-cake breaker ? — Yes. 



A pair of mill-stonea ? — Yes. 



Irrigatirg pump ? — Yes. 



