SHEEP. 239 
sometimes sold for seed oats may contain weed seeds. Hay 
and feed contain them. In this way most species of weeds 
are quickly brought into a new region. While good culti- 
vation will keep most kinds in check, it is not well to depend 
on this in the case of mustard. If this weed once gets into 
the soil it will require years of care and work to eradicate it. 
The seed will lie in the ground when plowed under until it is 
turned up again near enough to the surface to sprout. 
Great care should be taken not to sow mustard with grain, 
an 1 should it appear it must be pulled out at once. In this 
way the farm may be kept clean of it from the start. For 
lack of these precautions many new farms in this region are 
already as badly infested as farms in other sections. 
Sheep.—No class of live stock has such an important re- 
lation to the development of a new farm as sheep. This is 
due to their habit of browsing on brush. 
The experiment farm has maintained a flock of about 
seventy five sheep for five years, and used them in clearing 
up new land. The experience gained has been very useful. 
It is often claimed that sheep will live entirely upon brush. 
It is true that they can do so, but they will not do their best 
under such conditions. This fact should be emphasized. 
Should it be necessary to confine sheep entirely to brush, 
they will be apt to get poor, and the lambs will not make 
the best growth, as an all brush pasture seems to shorten 
the milk supply of the ewes. This has been amply demon- 
strated for two differentsummers with the flock onthe farm. 
The sheep will destroy the brush quicker when confined upon 
it. It therefore becomes a question of which is the more 
important end to be attained. Should it be impossible to 
furnish the sheep with any pasture except brush, one must 
not expect the sheep to get fat upon it, for they will seldom 
do so unless there is a large amount of grass or peavines in 
the pasture. It is possible however to make extensive use 
of the sheep to pasture off brush and at the same time bring 
them through the season in good form. This can be done 
when the farm is sufficiently well developed to devote some 
of the cleared land to sheep pasture. The sheepmay then be 
kept on the brush in the spring into July, at which period 
the foliage is fresh, and browsing does the most effective 
