Notes, 395 



7 '- — ~~~~ "■ ~ 



and reported hj the International Institute of Agriculture, and in 

 most instances give the position some years ago. The names of the 

 countries are given in the order of the greatest acreage under cultiva- 

 tion. 



PropoTtioii of Cultivated Land, including Fallow Land and. Artificial 

 Grass Lands, to the total area of the country. 



The highest percentage published is that of 66.2 per cent, for 

 Denmark, Belgium being next with 49.2 per cent., but of the total 

 extent of these countries 94 per cent, and ^^ per cent, respectively 

 was productive land. The lowest percentage is .8 per cent, each in 

 Canada, Australia, and Asiatic Eussia, but the productive land in 

 these countries is small, being only 2.6 per cent., 6.3 per cent., and 

 17.8 per cent, respectively of the total area. 



Care of Rams. 



Mr. A. G. Michaelian, Principal Sheep and Wool Expert, gives 

 the following advice: — 



Every sheep farmer should have suitable ram paddocks in which 

 he should run his rams when they are not working. If these paddocks 

 contain plenty of good, sweet, nutritious feed in sufficient quantity all 

 the year round, it should not be necessary to artificially feed flock or 

 stud rams, veld bred or otherwise, which are to be used among ewes 

 at the rate of 2 per cent. Of course, if you are not in good sheep 

 country, where sufficient nutritious feed is available all the year 

 round, it will be necessary to augment the rams' feed artificially 

 whether they are intended to go to work or not. Should a special ram 

 be required to serve, say, eighty ewes or more, he would require extra 

 feeding whilst working, unless, of course, there is an abundance of 

 good feed in the paddock and the farmer can see that the ram is 

 holding his own. If it is found necessary to feed the ram while he 

 is working he should be brought in and fed at, say, between 10 and 

 11 o'clock in'the morning accompanied by two or three of his ewes to 

 keep him from fretting. He must be turned out again at, say, four 

 in the afternoon, when it is cool. The ram should have two feeds 

 whilst inside. 



It is not advisable to take the ram out from the eAves during the 

 night. Generally speaking, rams should remain with the ewes from 

 six to seven weeks. Rams should never run with ewes unless they 

 are wanted to work. If rams are allowed to run with the ewes the 

 whole year round they will never be fit. It should be the object of 



