64 FACTS WITH REGARD TO SHEEP. 



Bruce, of Waug-hton, in East Lothian, whose names oug-ht 

 to be mentioned with honour in connection with this sub- 

 ject. 



Agricultural Gazette, Jan. 30, 184G. 



Art. XIV.— facts WITH REGARD TO SHEEP. 

 By the Editor of the Farmer's Almanac. 



Let lis survey a few of the vakiable facts with reg'ard 

 to sheep which have been noted during- the past year. Mr. 

 Pawlett, of Beeston, from a series of careful examina- 

 tions, concludes,* that the g-eneral opinion is correct, that 

 the sheep goes with young- long-er with males than with 

 females. He found that the long-est time that any ewe 

 went with 



Weeks. Days. 



A ram lamb, was 22 4 



The shortest 21 



The longest with a ewe lamb 22 2 



The shortest 20 4 



He says, " cabbag'es planted out in April or May are the 

 best food to make lambs fat that I ever met with ; but they 

 are expensive, and would scarcely pay any one to g-row for 

 sheep in a g-eneral way." Next to cabbag-es, white turnips, 

 lie thinks, are the best for lambs in September and October, 

 and preferable to Swedes, if they are not too old and are cut 

 by a machine. In a careful comparative experiment, he 

 found that in a month eight lambs fed on cabbag-es and 

 clover chaif gained each 11 lb.; eight fed with Swedes and 

 chaff gained" 8^ lb. Washing the food of the lambs he 

 found to be prejudicial. During the month of December 

 1836, he fed two lots of lambs with carrots and Swedes. 

 The lot fed with the unwashed gained in Aveight each 7|-lb.; 

 the lot fed with the washed gained only 4g lb. He ap- 

 proves of the early shearing of slieep ; he says, " I am con- 

 vinced that the sheep thrive much faster during the summer 

 if their wool is taken off on the 1st of May, than if it were 

 left on until the iirst or second week in June." From some 

 careful experiments of Mr. Bruce, of Waughton, in East 



' Jour. R. A. S., vol. vi. p. 3(53. 



