25 



November 1. On hand G9 one-shear ewes, 60 ewes of 

 the origiual flock, 122 ewes twice 

 shorn, S.5 ewe lambs, and 3 wethers 

 ditto, 5 buck lambs — in all 344, at 



$4: each $1, 376 00 



7bucks 115 00 



$3,594 GO 



Net profit 1, 277 30 



I am now in my fourth year in sheep husbandry, and having disposed of all 

 my Avethers but three, and all of the ewes which had lambs and which did not 

 shear four and a half pounds, at $5 per head, I have valued the whole flock at 

 what the drafted ewes sold for, viz : five dollars each. This increase of one 

 dollar each, added to the profit of last year, makes the net gain of $1,621 30 

 on an investment one year ago of 81,427. My present flock, it will be seen, 

 consists of 60 ewes of the original flock, 122 two-shear ewes, and 69 one-shear 

 do., all with lamb, or supposed to be; three lamb wethers, 85 ewe lambs, five 

 buck lambs, and five old bucks. The latter I have estimated at $115, as the 

 year previous, and all of the former at five dollars each, believing them, aside 

 from the change of times, to have doubled in value by careful breeding. So 

 that the account stands on the first day of November, 1S64 — 



Dr. 



To 5 bucks $115 00 



To 344 sheep, at $5 each 1, 720 00 



$1,835 00 



The first year I fed with clover hay and about one gill of shelled corn to 

 each sheep, commencing to feed corn to the ewes two weeks before copula- 

 tion with the bucks, and continuing it until turned out in the spring. It will 

 be seen that the flock of ewes and wethers sheared a little over four and a half 

 pounds general average that year. The next year I fed no corn after January, 

 and the general average of the same flock was but a trifle over four pounds. 

 The last year I fed corn to the breeding ewes as heretofore before copulation, 

 and until the 1st of February, when I commenced with wheat bran, known as 

 coarse middlings, and weighing about forty pounds to the bushel, intending to 

 feed about three-quarters of a pound to each until turn-out. The flock of ewes 

 thus grained and fed Avith poor clover hay twice a day, salted once a week, in- 

 cluding 19 inferior wethers, once shorn, and since sold for four dollars each, it 

 will be seen by inspection gave a general average of over four and a half 

 pounds of clean Avashed avooI, AAdiich sold readily in the barn for one dollar per 

 pound. 



Last season I reared OA-er 90 per cent, of lambs, and expect to do so this 

 spring. Dropping should commence by the 5tli of April, and should be all 

 through AA'ith before the CAves are turned out. Lambs do not do Avell coming 

 after so great a change in diet ; and if an CAve loses her lamb, her udder is 

 generally ruined for want of care. One shear-sheep reOj^uires better feed than 

 older ones ; quite as good as lambs if alloAved to breed. I am feeding that kind 

 of CAves hay twice a day, and one pound of Avheat middlings each. The older 

 ewes have straw, bean haulm, or corn-stalks twice, and hay once, Avith three- 

 quarters of a pound of the middlings per day. The lambs have hay three times 

 a day, Avith a peck of shell-corn mixed with treble the quantity of middlings. 

 I haA^e not lost a sheep since last April, at the lambing season, nor do I expect 

 to until that season shall arriA^e ajraiu. All the CAves Avear in their right car a 



