72 SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 
live weight, when they are marketed with promptness and 
in an intelligent way. As the ewes must be fed freely while 
suckling their lambs, they are in that condition as to flesh 
and the ability to take on flesh rapidly when the lambs 
usually are weaned, which, in a short time makes them ready 
for the block if it should be desired to dispose of them thus. 
At such atime the price is usually higher that at other sea- 
sons of the year. 
The Industry is Comparatively New.—Not many years 
have elapsed since winter lambs began to be grown in this 
country. It is making rapid strides however, particularly 
in the Eastern and in some of the middle states. The de- 
mand for such meat, which is in a sense a luxury, comes from 
cities where wealth has accumulated. The cities of New 
York, Boston and Philadelphia are chief among these, but 
the demand is rapidly extending to the large cities of the 
Lake regions and to those of the Mississippi basin. It is 
fair to infer, therefore, that winter lamb will soon be a reg- 
ularly appearing commodity in all the great cities of the 
United States. 
Who Should Grow Winter Lambs.—Those only should 
attempt to grow winter lambs who are so located that they 
can ship them readily. They ought to be near a railroad 
station, and should be within easy reach of telegraph and 
telephone communication, in order to readily supply cus- 
tomers as they forward orders. They should also be so 
situated that they can grow and store a sufficient supply of 
field roots and other foods suitable for ewes anddams. And 
they should have ample shed room and divisions in their 
sheds to admit of feeding ewes and lambs in groups or lots, 
according to the special needs of each. Moreover, they 
should have one or more lambing pens, at least, reasonably 
warm. 
Difficulties to be Overcome.—The chief difficulties to be 
overcome in the meantime in this Western country are, first, 
the scarcity of the materials from which such lambs can be 
bred, and second, the opening of suitable markets in the 
West. The first named difficulty arises from the fact that 
only two breeds have the property of dropping winter lambs 
at the season of the year desired. These are the Dorsets and 
