268 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 5 



good common ewes and a Bakewell buck — it will 

 greatly improve the breed by changing the buck 

 every year and selling off the old ewes. In three 

 years the breed will be very nearly as good as fiill 

 feakewell. If two farmers in the same neighbor- 

 hood could exchange. bucks, it would answer as 

 well and be a saving to both parties. I have en- 

 deavored to give thee all the information in this, 

 and my answers to thy queries below, I now think 

 of, yet that I have omitted some things I have no 

 doubt, but am willing at any iuture time to answer 

 any questions and impart any knowledge in my 

 power, to aid thee and the valuable Agricultural 

 Society of the county, whose advancement thee 

 so ardently seeks to further. I remain thy friend, 

 Thomas Baynes. 



Queries, by James W. Thomson, the Corresponding 

 Secretary of the Agricultural Society of New-Cas- 

 tle County, Delaware, — with answers by Thomas 

 Baynes, of Wilmington, on the managemeat and 

 feeding of sheep. 



Question 1. — What breed of sheep do you con- 

 sider best, and most profitable for the feeding of 

 mutton, in this and the adjoining states, to pur- 

 chase, principally for the purpose of latter.ing? 



Answer. — Half Bakewell and half Merino. A 

 breed of sheep from the Glade country, State of 

 New- York, answers very well. 



Question 2. — What kind of sheep would best 

 combine the fattening qualities, and yield to the 

 farmer the most valuable fleece? 



Answer.— Bakewell, viz ".—Lambs at six months 

 old, worth from lour to six dollars, at 14 months, 

 yield six to eight pounds of wool, worth 40 cts. 

 per pound; at 24 months will sell for ten to thir- 

 teen dollars; if not sold, will produce from five to 

 six pounds of wool, and have a lamb — continu- 

 ing thus, till four years old, mostly decreasing in 

 the weight of wool every year; at four, the fleece 

 will not weigh more than lour pounds, when they 

 ought to be fed, and never kept older. It is a rule 

 with good farmers, never to have their lambs be- 

 fore first week in March. 



Question 3. — What should be the age of sheep 

 to fatten best, and how is a farmer to know their 

 age, and what length of time does it ordinarily 

 take to make mutton sufficiently good for the 

 shambles'? 



jfns. — From three to five years old. Their age 

 is known by their teeth. At one year old they 

 have two broad teeth in front; at two years old 

 four, and at three years old six, or a full mouth; 

 after this age their teeth begin to shorten. 



They require three months to fatten, provided 

 they are in lair order when purchased. Six weeks 

 on grass, and six weeks on grain and hay. 



Question 4. — What do you consider the best 

 food lor stall-feeding sheep, and how much ibod 

 should be given to each sheep daily during the 

 fattening process. 



Answer. — Corn, oats and potatoes, Avith hay. 

 It is necessary to be cautious at the commence- 

 ment; the food should be three-fifths corn, to be- 

 gin with half a pint to each sheep, daily Ibr five 

 days, increasing gradually to one pint for five days 

 more, and one and a half pints lor five days after, 

 when one quart can be given with safety. It is 

 best to give a few potatoes daily, say two bushels 

 to every hundred head. 



Question 5. — Is salt essential lo sheep at this 

 time? 



Answer. — They ought to have it to go to at 

 pleasure. 



Question^. — How many sheep, with advan- 

 tage to the farmer, and their health, can be led on 

 a farm of from 100 to 300 acres, and how many 

 can one hand feed and fodder 1 



Answer. — One hundred is considered a suffi- 

 cient number for a larm of 200 acres, to be fed in 

 three separate flocks. In England one sheep to 

 every head of cattle is the rule. The labor is very 

 trifling, one hand can attend 100 in one and a 

 half hours — half hour morning, noon and night. 

 Be punctual to the time of feeding, it is of im- 

 portance. 



Question 7. — Should fattening sheep be kept 

 housed or suffered to run at large, and whether it 

 is necessary to have any particular form for shel- 

 ters, racks, or enclosures, for fattening sheep ? 



Answer. — Every farmer should have at least 

 one sheep-house, to be two stories high; the up- 

 per story for hay in part, and to prepare their food 

 in the lower slory, open to the south with a yard 

 attached to it twice as large as the house, or to 

 contain twice as much ground as the house stands 

 on. The rack and trough to run around the in- 

 side on the lower floor, four feet from the outside 

 wall, to allow a passage; a small trough to be 

 placed at the bottom of the rack, six inches broad 

 and four inches deep, two fiset from the floor. 

 The racks must be perpendicular, to prevent the 

 hayseeds getting into the wool, and slope the 

 back of the rack; two li^et will be sufficient for 

 the height of the rack ii'om the trough. The hay 

 is given them from the passage over the back of 

 the rack, but the food must be taken inside and 

 carefully placed in the trough, even all along to 

 prevent any one from getting more than his share. 

 It is necessary they have water twice every day. 

 If they go out to water never allow them to be 

 out more than two hours at the time. The pen 

 should be kept well littered. 



Question 8. — What are the diseases to which 

 fattening sheep are most liable, and what are the 

 proper remedies 1 



Answer. — The disease most common is rot or 

 lax— the best remedy known for it is half a pint of 

 equal proportions of soot and salt. When sheep 

 are feeding high they are subject to a disease sup- 

 posed to be a species of clwlic; the best remedy is 

 to bleed at the eye vein, and give an injection com- 

 posed of lard, molasses, and warm water; an in- 

 jection is very good when they are two costive, 

 but this never occurs when they have their propor- 

 tion of potatoes, turnips or sugar-beets. 



When sheep get torn with dogs, or by any ac- 

 cident rend the skin, the wound should be well 

 washed with warm milk and water. Stitch up the 

 place and bathe it with tincture of Cayenne pep- 

 per or spirits of turpentine. 



Sheep are at times subject to foot rot or foul- 

 claw; this can be mostly cured by placing in their 

 path quick lime three inches deep, so that the lime 

 will go well up between their hoofs. If this should 

 fail, clean well their feet with a dry cloth, pare off 

 the superfluous hoofj and apply butter of antimo- 

 ny; if it is still unmanageable they had best at 

 once be sold, and then if care is not taken to clean 

 well their pen, &c., the next flock will take it. as it 

 is a contagious disease. Scab is a disease more 



