66 Live Stock. Sheep Folding Benefit o/obtained in other Ways. 



again by worms, and demanded much rolling in fpring. They had afterwards a 

 greener and more fertile appearance by far than ever they wore before. ^ 



It is concluded r that the whole of this circumftanee, the value of which he 

 will be able to appreciate in the trials of future years* belongs to this method of 

 dividing flocks, to the exclufion of folding. The fold is valuable, but fo is the 

 improvement of the grafs land, and may, for what he knows, nearly equal it :. when,, 

 in addition, we include the greater number of flieep that can be kept, and the favour 

 done to them by letting them alone, there remains in his mind no further doubt 

 of the fact. It is common to hear flock-farmers, in open: countries fay, they have- 

 not the power to manage fo. This may be very true, upon the major part of the 

 farms ; but fuch have often many inclofures, in which this management might br 

 applied without difficulty. But if we fuppofe folding to be the fyftern purfued, he 

 may remark, that the farmers in thofe parts of the kingdom which underftand it 

 belt, do not extend it fo far as they might ; they give over folding in November or 

 December, whereas it may certainly be carried on through the whole winter with 

 profit ; even fuppofingthat the practice is neceffary : orr thofe farms which have a; 

 perfectly dry gravelly pafture or two, it is advifable to fold all winter on fuch dry 

 grafs land. It muft not be attempted on moift arable land, nor on moift grafs 

 land, but on dry paftures. The fafety to the fheep is greater, and the benefit to- 

 rhe grafs an object. * 



Thefe are the arguments and experiments by which the utility of this long-efta- 

 blilhed practice is afiailed and rendered problematical , at leaft on farms in inclofed 

 diftricts, where the fheep are capable of being confined in the paftures or other 

 fields in feparate lots, without this management. How far, in other cafes, the in^ 

 jury fuftained by the fheep in their thriving, and being more expofed to difeafe, 

 with the trouble and inconvenience of the practice, weigh againft the advantage 

 of the fyftem in providing manure as well as otherwife improving the tillage lands, 

 vnd keeping them in a more reftrained Hate by other means, remains to be fhevvn. The 

 decifion of the queftion involves various confiderations of great moment to the 

 Jtock as well as tillage farmer. 



It has been fuggefted, that cc there is another method of gaining all the benefit 

 of folding quite through the winter, and on all foils ; this is to confine them at 

 night in a fheep-yard, well and regularly littered with ftraw, flubble, or fern ; by 

 which means you keep your flock warm and healthy in bad feafons, and at the 

 fame time raife a furpriling quantity of dufcg ; fo great a quantity, if you hav 



