246 REGULARITY IN FEEDING. 



feeding hay, if it is good, early cut clover, I generally reduce 

 the quantity of meal or grain one-half; but that depends on 

 the condition of the sheep. If they are not pretty fat, I 

 continue the full feed of meal or grain with their clover, and 

 on both they fatten wonderfully fast. This year (1862-3) I 

 fed buckwheat, a pound to each per day, half in the morning 

 and half at 4 o'clock P. M., with wheat and barley straw. I 

 found the sheep gained a little over a pound each per week. 

 It never was profitable for me to commence fattening lean 

 sheep, or very fat ones. Sheep should be tolerably fair mutton 

 when yarded. I keep their yards and sheds thoroughly 

 littered with straw. 



" Last year I only fed straw one month. The sheep were 

 fed a pound of buckwheat each. From the 20th of October 

 to the 1st of March, they gained nearly l pounds each per 

 week. They were full-blood Merinos but not those with 

 the large cravats around their necks. I have fed sheep for 

 the eastern markets for more than 30 years, and I always 

 made a profit on them except in 1841-2. I then fed at a loss. 

 It was a tight squeeze in 1860-1 to get their dung for profit. 

 Some years I have made largely. I did so this year, (1862-3,) 

 and if I had held on two weeks longer I should have made 

 much more. Taking all together it has been a good business 

 for me." 



Mr. Johnston by under-draining* and by the manure 

 obtained by fattening sheep, has almost created one of the 

 finest farms in New York. I think his land is not adapted 

 to turnips. 



REGULARITY IN FEEDING. The utmost regularity should 

 be observed in the times of feeding either store or fattening 

 sheep, and in giving them just the requisite amount to last 

 them until the next feeding. If permitted to waste hay, they 

 rapidly acquire the habit of doing so i. e., picking out the 

 best and then waiting, even though quite hungry, for another 

 feed. If the hay is coarse and was cut over-ripe, and 

 especially if clover hay be thus circumstanced, it is not 

 profitable to compel the sheep to eat all the orts or refuse ; 

 but even with such hay, sheep can soon be taught by over- 

 feeding and carelessness, to make a most unnecessary degree 

 of waste. 



All experienced flock-masters concur in the opinion that 



* He is the father of underground tile-draining in the United States. 



