Sheep. 333 



With regard to the ewes, they had the same mixture of food as 

 the lambs. As long- as the pastures afforded them anything, they 

 received \ lb. to f lb. of meal and cake. After Christmas they 

 had 1 lb. of corn and cake daily, and about 2|^lbs. of straw-chafF. 



On January 7th they were removed from the arable land to the 

 pastures, and housed in a well-littered yard at night. We then 

 made a slight change to less stimulating food, substituting for 

 1 bushel of meal 4 bushels of pollard and a load of mangold daily. 

 We were careful to let the ewes have access to water at all times : 

 without this precaution there would have been risk of abortion, 

 from their drinking to excess. The lambs began to drop the first 

 week in February. 



The judicious use of corn and dry food in feeding ewes is 

 generally followed by a good crop of lambs — as was the case in 

 the present instance. When roots are plentiful we give about 

 6 lbs. a head daily to the ewes, and ^ lb. of corn and cake with 

 straw-chafF. 



In the case of a te^, weighing about 8 stones, it is easier to 

 fatten him on 12 lbs. of roots daily, and 1 lb. of corn and cake 

 with chaff, than on 1^ lb. of the latter without the roots. 



The use of dry food alone is costly and trying to the con- 

 stitution of young or weakly animals. A teg, out of condition, 

 would not bear it, while a sheep in good health and appetite 

 would thrive. A yard of culled ewes, fed on dry food only, with- 

 out succulent vegetables, fattened rapidly and paid for their food, 



I do not record this example of sheep-farming for its general 

 economy, but as an instance of reliance on dry food in a case of 

 emergency ; proving that a sheep-farmer is not without resource 

 under a failure of roots, while he has stacks of good straw on his 

 farm. 



To complete this picture of exceptional management, it should 

 be stated that some of the stubbles folded last winter had been 

 badly farmed, and were very much out of condition. The crops 

 that followed, including peas, beans, oats, rape, and roots, were 

 all strikingly benefited by the fold. Those who have experienced 

 the slow and expensive routine of bringing an exhausted farm 

 into good cultivation and condition, will understand the advantage 

 of saving time in the process. Artificial manure is not the right 

 remedy for this land. The manure-cart travels slowly, and cannot 

 easily be set in motion at all without roots. The sheep-fold in 

 such a case can hardly cost too much. 



This narrative may be supplemented by a few remarks on the 

 general economy of sheep-farming. 



For the maintenance of an ewe flock during the whole year, 

 some modification of the usual four-course rotation is required in 

 order to provide summer food. 



