THE HOT-HOUSE LAMB. 217 



poison to young lambs. However this may be, it is certain 

 that good silage is one of the most valuable feeds that can 

 be secured for lambs or ewes. 



If proper care in feeding is taken the lambs should weigh 

 from 45 to 60 pounds in from eight to ten weeks, and should 

 also be very fat. They should now be slaughtered, hog 

 dressed, and prepared for market. This is more or less of a 

 fancy operation, as a well dressed carcass will far outsell 

 one that is poorly finished. In this connection, no better 

 directions can be given than those by H. P. Miller, in the 

 "Winter Lamb." He says: 



"The preparation for market requires some skill, yet only 

 such as almost any one can develop after carefully studying 

 directions. We have greatly simplified our method of prepa- 

 ration, and the lambs apparently sell as well. 



"It is very important to have them thoroughly bled out. 

 To secure this we have found it advantageous to suspend 

 the lamb by the hind feet in killing. Suspend a short single- 

 tree about six feet from the ground. Loop a small rope or 

 strong twine about each hind leg and attach to the hooks 

 of the singletree. With a sharp-pointed knife sever the artery 

 and vein in the neck close above the head. Be sure to sever 

 the artery. Bright red blood is the assurance. The venous 

 blood is dark. Severing the head with a broadax would per- 

 haps cause less suffering and insure a thorough bleeding. I 

 remove the head with a knife as soon as the lamb quits 

 struggling. Clip the wool from the brisket, and strip four 

 or five inches wide upward to the udder or scrotum, also from 

 between the hind legs as in tagging sheep. Now open the 

 lamb from the tail to the brisket. Slit the skin up the inside 

 of the hindquarters about four inches and loosen the skin 

 from the underlying muscles for two inches on either side of 

 the openings in the skin for the attachment of the caul fat. 

 This should be removed from the stomachs before they are 

 detached, and in very cold weather placed in warm water until 

 ready to use. Next remove the stomach and intestines. In 

 the early part of the season the liver, heart and lungs are 

 not removed, but when the weather gets warmer they must 

 be. Carefully spread the caul fat over all the exposed flesh. 

 Good toothpicks should be provided for attaching it and hold- 

 ing it in place. Make srcall slits in it over the kidneys and 

 pull them through. This part of the work is the one that 

 requires skill to make the carcass look attractive. Now hang 

 it in a cool place for twelve to twenty-four hours. In ex- 



