250 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



not the eye, will detect any signs of pain in any particu- 

 lar ewe, and then bis judgment must dictate the best 

 course to be pursued. 1 have so often written upon the 

 mode of treatment during the pains of parturition and 

 subsequent treatment, that I feel ashamed to recur to 

 it so often ; but our readers are many, and from the 

 great increase in the circulation of the Mark Lane 

 Express, so new to me, that I may be permitted again 

 to recapitulate a few of the heads of the management of 

 ewes in the lambing season. 



1«^ The Shepherd. — He ought to be a careful, 

 patient, kind, and cautious man. His care must be un- 

 ceasing, his watchfulness incessant, and his industry in 

 providing every requisite of food, shelter, and indi- 

 vidual conveniences for each case must be unlimited. 

 He should provide himself continu>4lly with the follow- 

 ing aids : a crook ; a cord, and small button hook, for 

 bad presentations ; a small phial of laudanum, to ad- 

 minister a spoonful to allay pain in bad cases ; and a 

 bottle of milk, well sweetened with treacle, for like 

 cases, to refresh and restore the ewe, and occasionally to 

 aid the young lamb if the dam is short of milk. In 

 distant fields he ought to have a lambing-house, pro- 

 vided with a file and warming appliances for starved 

 lambs ; and his time should be wholly given up to the 

 ewe flock during the season. On no account must his 

 hands come in contact with putridity. 



2nd. The Ewe. — This, I trust, is in a healthy and 

 proper state for lambing — free from disease, and in good 

 store condition. When the actual pains of labour have 

 commenced, the shepherd should examine her to ascer- 

 tain that the presentation is right; if so, she may be 

 pretty nearly left to herself; but if the labour is pro- 

 tractedj he must render assistance, otherwise the lamb 

 will be a dead one when it comes. She must be gently 

 laid upon her side, the fore-fingers to be inserted in her 

 barren, and one leg after the other be brought forward, 

 keeping the nose or head iu its proper place. He may 

 then gently draw with one hand, while with the other 

 he must endeavour to open the aperture, ;ind put back 

 protruding skin, &c. Having thus by degrees made 

 room and brought the lainb forward, he may then take 

 both hands, and with moderate force pull the lamb away. 

 He must immediately clear its nose, and open its mouth, 

 and encourage it to draw its first breath. As soon as it 

 breathes freely, and the ewe is a little rested after her 

 severe labour, he may proceed to suckle it, taking care to 

 clear the udder from all wool likely to be drawn into the 

 stomach by sucking. The choice of a dry warm place 

 for the lamb and a nice tempting root or cabbage for the 

 ewe will complete the case, unless it is a very bad one. 

 He must in that case give a tablespoonful of laudanum, 

 to lay her quiet and keep her from paining, till the parts 

 in a great measure resume their proper position and 

 functions. On no account apply sharp oils or dressings 

 to the womb — a little lard or oil is preferable. On the 

 morning following parturition, after the application of 

 laudanum, the ewe will require a little gruel or cordial- 

 stimulant, but nothing likely to induce fever ; should, 

 however, fever come on, she will require very careful 

 nursing — a dry shed, bran and oats for food, with sliced 



turnip or mangold, and a constant supply of gruel or 

 possett. The gruel made from wheat-flour mixed rather 

 thin with a little salt ; the possett as above, i. c, milk 

 with tteacle or coarse sugar. As she improves a little, 

 her possett may be half water, half ale, thickened with 

 flour, and a little ginger, peppermint, or carraway may 

 be added. On no account let her get wet. 



Srd. Wrong Presextatioxs. — These are the most 

 difficult cases, and generally arise from some foolish 

 mismanagement. The shepheid's dog may have run 

 them too fast; they have jumped over ditches; the 

 hounds have alarmed them, or some such cause. Well, 

 the ewe is examined, and " the lamb is wrong." The 

 shepherd must now bare his arm ; take a little lard, and 

 but his hand ; then carefully and gradually insert it into 

 her uterus, and force back the lamb into the womb if 

 necessary, and if possible turn it right ; then take the 

 cord on his finger, and place it on the, fore-legs, and 

 gently draw the lamb forward, and so away. It is some- 

 times impossible to get the lamb right. The cord must 

 then be put upon each leg separately, and the lamb 

 drawn away piecemeal. A right presentation is the nose 

 lying between the fore-legs ; but occasionally the hind- 

 quarter comes first : in some cases it may with safety be 

 thus drawn away. Of course, the ewe in such cases will 

 require the best nursing, as named above. I merely 

 give these more important outlines ; the whole subject 

 would occupy several papers. 



FANNY'S BARN-YARD SONG. 



Cbicky ! chick ! chick ! 0, come along quick ; 



From my little lingers a crumb you may pick. 



Quake ! quake ! quake ! s;iys the white old drake, 



And the ducks shake their tails with a short little shake. 



( juack ! quack ! quack ! says the one in black. 



And they split their throats as they answer, Quack ! 



Cock-a-(iooJle-do ! here's a health "to you, 



And the rooster bows to the feathered crew. 



Cluck ! cluck ! cluck ! I wish you much luck, 



Says a mother hen to a setting duck. 



Pe ! pe ! pe ! 0, pray wait for nie. 



Says the turkey brood, as plain as can he. 



Gobble ! gobble ! gobble ! my snout's in a hobble, 



Says the strutting cock with an ugly bobble. 



Pot rack ! pot rack ! I'll quit such a pack, 



Sin>;s the Guinea-hen, as she flies the track. 



Taint never no use, screams a sensible goose, 



To mind the rude waj's of fowls what is loose; 



Then hissing aloud to the wondering crowd, 



She waddles away, quite happy and proud. 



Now the peacock tries, with his hundred ej'es, 



To astonish and awe ; but the Shanghaies rise, 



And clearing their throats, flap their short-tailed coats. 



While they sweep tile barii-j'ai'd of corn anJ oats. 



Then the Poland duck, with his comb in a tuck, 



dives a foreign twirl to his best tail curl ; 



While a bantam swell goes on tiptoe a spell, 



To escort for a while a Cochin belle. 



Then they crackle and crow, hiss, gobble, and blow. 



And all speak at once, both high and low. 



Hush! hush! hush! cry the Muscovies, hush ! 



We are whispering secrets as soft as mush ; 



Then bowing around, almost to the ground, 



They, bolibing, retire with a murmuring sound ; 



And chicky ! chick ! chick ! O, come along quick, 



IJriiigs order again, while a crumb they pick. 



— Journal of Commerci. 



