Live Stock. Sheep Folding of in well-littered Yard& 697 



plenty of litter, that the profit will be better than folding on the land. A great 

 improvement in this method would be giving the fheep all their food (except their 

 pafturej in fuch yard ; viz. hay and turnips, for which purpofe they may be brought: 

 up not only at night, but alfo at noon, to be baited ; but if their pafture beat a 

 diftance they fhould then, inftead of baiting at noon, come to the yard earlier 

 in the evening and go out later in the morning. This a practice which cannot, 

 be too much recommended : for fo warm a lodging is a great matter to young 

 lambs, and will tend much to forward their growth ; the fheep will alfo be kept 

 in good health ; and what is a point of confequence to all farms, the quantity of 

 dung raifed will be very great. If this method is purfued through the months of 

 December, January, February, March, and April, with plenty of litter, one hun 

 dred flieep will make a dunghill of at leaft fixty loads of excellent fluff, which 

 will amply manure two acres of land, whereas one hundred fheep folded (fuppofin^ 

 thegrafs dry enough) will not in that time equally manure one acre.&quot; 



This bufinefsmay beftill further promoted by means of proper yards fuited to 

 the extent of fheep that are folded, with fheds on the fides for them to feed under $-, 

 as in this way, by having the bottoms and under the fheds well covered With tur 

 bog-earth, marl, orthefcrapings of roads, in the autumn and winter feafon, the fheep 1 

 being kept on them in the day-time in bad ftormy weather, and always during the 

 night, with- plentiful fuppliesof ftraw, ftubble, fern, or any fimilar fubftances as 

 litter, fo as that they may be preferved quite dry and free from moifture, a vaft 

 flock of good manure will be raifed. Such yards or Handing folds, on this account^ 

 as well as that of improving the wool and affording fhelter to the animals, deferve 

 to be much more general than they are at prefent. Thefe yards ; both with and 

 without fheds, are in ufe in Suflex ;* with fheds they are probably better than when 

 wholly covered, as in the Herefordfhire method ; for in this laft mode it is pro 

 bably the fheep may be kept too warm, an equality of temperature being 

 found of the mofl benefit in the economy of thefe animals. Mbre experiments 

 than have yet been made are wanting to mow the advantages that may be derived 

 from different methods of houfing fheep during the winter feafon. There feemS 

 little doubt but that the quality of the fleece may be improved by it; though in 

 the French manner it is faid to have done harm.j 



Wherever the fyftem of folding is adopted as neceffary, it fliould be purfued witn 

 ;is much fteadinefs as poflibie, and have the bufinefs done in a perfect manner, for 

 which purpofe it may be fufficient to allow two fquare yards, or, in many cafes, & 



*Annals of Agriculture, Vol. XI. + Annals of Agriculture, vol. XL and XVL 



VOL, TI. 4 U 



