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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



healthy. The cribs were placed round the sides^ 

 so that the sheep could not jump over them, which 

 often was the cause of mischief. The remarks 

 made by Mr. Fowler deserved attention ; and he 

 thought there was nothing like good up-land hay 

 for ewes when breeding. On the whole, he con- 

 sidered there were so many changes in the climate 

 and the constitutions of the animals, that it was 

 difficult to account for the bad luck often ex- 

 perienced, 



Mr. Fowler thought they would not be wander- 

 ing from the subject if they took into consideration 

 the treatment of ewes with the wethers out and in 

 premature lambing. In the former case he had been 

 reconmended to use an ounce and a half of bella- 

 donna mixed with a pint and a half of boiling 

 water, and allowed to stand till it got cold. He 

 first washed with warm water, and then applied a 

 small portion of the solution. In the latter case 

 he used equal portions of opium and nitrate spirits 

 of ether, and if there were any uneasiness he gave 

 a dose of four tea-spoonfuls. 



Mr. Longman stated that he had been unfor- 

 tunate with his two-tooth ewes, but he could not 

 tell the reason, as they had been feeding with the 

 others. 



Mr. Fowler thought there might be a pre- 

 disposition in many young ewes to cast their lambs, 

 and that they were more subject to inflammation, 

 &c., than the old ewes, which would account for 

 the greater number of casualties among the two- 

 tooth ewes. 



Mr. Reader considered that lambing in a yard 

 depended a great deal on the situation. If they 

 had a yard, it ought to be in rather a higher place 

 than if they were going to let the ewes lie open, 

 so that there might be plenty of air. In a low 

 yard they would get a damp atmosphere, and have 

 inflammation among the sheep. He could scarcely 

 reconcile what Mr. Saunders said respecting the 

 two-tooth ewes and the old ones. It was known 

 that the ewes sent to Weyhill fair from the lower 

 part of Dorset and Somersetshire were in the high- 

 est condition, generally fat enough for the butcher; 

 and the purchasers must calculate upon good luck, 

 or they would never give the prices they do. It 

 often happens that the dam and lamb were sent to 

 Smithfield together, and the ewes must be kept in 

 good condition, otherwise they would not be fit. 



Mr. Saunders said he had heard of parties buy- 

 ing at Weyhill, and having bad luck, M'hich he 

 considered to be owing to the ewes being in too 

 high condition. 



Mr. Alner stated that a friend of his had been 



unfortunate with his two-tooth ewes, though they 

 were not in such good condition as the other por- 

 tion of the flock. 



Mr. Saunders, in replying to different questions, 

 said he had given his ewes all sorts of hay, but did 

 not know that his ewes had suffered from any that 

 was diseased in the manner Mr. Fowler had spoken 

 of. As to ewes suffering from the wether being 

 out, he generally applied hog's lard, or, in a bad 

 case, hog's lard and tar, tying string across without 

 putting in a stitch. He thought it was a question 

 whether it were the frosted mangold or a bad night 

 which caused the injury Mr. Clarke had alluded to. 

 Mr. White likes his ewes to go back a little before 

 lambing, but he (Mr. Saunders) thought it was 

 impossible to keep them up enough at that period. 

 He agreed with Mr. Jackson that lamb-slipping 

 was infectious, although he could not speak with 

 certainty, but he always guarded against it. He 

 thought a yard in general was bad. If they kept 

 the yard thoroughly well littered and dry, they 

 might keep the ewes healthy; but if they got it 

 wet and mucky it was very bad, and he had lost 

 lambs after a wet night in such cases. He used an 

 open fold with hurdles which he could shift every 

 day ; and after the ewes had lambed, he put them 

 in a place where there were sheds to protect them. 

 He did not object to putting the cribs round the 

 fold or yard where they had plenty of room, in 

 which case it was a very good plan. What Mr. 

 Longman stated corroborated his observations with 

 respect to the two-tooth ewes, and he attributed the 

 loss to their being in too high condition. As to 

 Mr. Alner's remark, of course there were excep- 

 tions to every rule. He generally used Driffield's 

 Black Oil in cases of inflammation, but thought it 

 was a question whether it was that or nature itself 

 which effected the cure. 



The following resolution was then come to : — 

 "That the ewes should be kept during the winter 

 months in as dry and sheltered a situation as the 

 farm will admit of; that they should not be 

 allowed to remain on the turnip land (especially if 

 strong, wet soil) during the night, after heavy 

 rains ; that care should be taken not to drive them 

 any great distance to heat them ; and that turnips 

 are considered by many to be beneficial if given 

 moderately." 



The Chairtwan then complimented Mr. Saunders 

 on the able manner in which he had introduced the 

 subject, and proposed a vote of thanks to him. 



Mr. White seconded the proposition, which 

 was imanimously agreed to, and the proceedings 

 terminated, — Dorset County Chronicle, 



