86 L ne ftoc1cSheep Diffe * ent .Modes of Keeping in Winter ami Spring. 



fd in March, \vhich fhould always be the cafe, when the preserved grafs or rouen 

 may be ready to receive them, \vhich is confidercd by fome as the nv ft to be 

 depended upon through this and the following month, which, with the firft week 

 in May, is the mod difficult period of the year to the (lock-farmer. On dry mea 

 dows and paftures it is invaluable in this view, though at firft fight it may have an 

 unnromifing appearance from the covering of decayed autumnal grafs that is upon 

 it ; but which, when removed, prefents a new growth of irefh green grafs, five or tix 

 inches in height, brought up by the (belter and warmth afforded by the covering of 

 old grafs. This is found to agree remarkably well with the fheep, as they confume 

 both together, having, as it were, both hay and grafs in the fame bite.* It is fup- 

 pofed by the fame correct agricultor, to be impoffible &quot; to keep a full ftock of fheep 

 fo cheaply in April by any other method as by this. Tolerable rouen will carry 

 ten ewes an acre with their lambs through the whole month. Such rouen may be 

 worth in autumn ten or twelve millings an acre ; in April it is worth thirty or 

 forty (hillings ; and if it be a backward feafon, a farmer that has it would not be 

 tempted to fell it for much more.f &quot; But in the fupport of his (heep and lamb 

 ftock, if the farmer be provided with a fufficient extent of watered meadow, he 

 may fully depend upon, that, without any other provifion for this period. 



But in cafes where thefe cannot be depended on for the fupport of the fheep. flock 

 at this difficult feafon, the improved practice is, inftead of depending on turnips 

 and hay with rye fown for the purpofe, the young wheats, and the run of the paf 

 tures, to let the turnips continue fo as that their (hoots may become an object of 

 fheep-food, and to have annually a portion of tolerable good land fufficient to the 

 extent of the flock, under rye grafs and clover, fo as to be ready in the fpring to 

 take the fheep from turnips, and fupport them till the period of turning upon the 

 paftures. It is remarked that &quot; this conduct is an improvement on the other, 

 as it gets rid of thefe great evils : depending on rye, which is footi eaten ; feeding 

 on wheat, which is pernicious to the crop ; and turning too foon into the general 

 paftures. But at there fame time that it effects this advantage, it is open to fome 

 objections which make further improvement neceflary. Keeping the turnips long 

 in the fpring is very bad hufbandry ; it damages greatly the barley crop, both in 

 robbing the land, and preventing it from being fown in proper time : nor is the 

 food of great confequence ; for many acres of turnip-tops are requifite, the number 

 of which muft be in proportion to the ftock of fheep ; and as to the roots, they 

 $row fo fticky and hard after the tops are at all advanced, that their value is trifling, 



* Yoyng s Farmer s Calendar. -f Ibid. 



