EXTRAORDINARY TREATMENT OF LAMBS. 145 



cabbage. After two hours or more, and in the heat of the 

 afternoon, they are allowed to spread themselves over some 

 old sainfoin or aftermath clover. They will then return to the 

 vetch fold, and after receiving another feed of corn they lie 

 down to well earned repose, having increased their weight by 

 i Ib. each. Hay chaff in troughs is also frequently supplied, 

 even in summer, by way of keeping them firm in their bowels ; 

 thus, a lamb may easily partake of eight different kinds of 

 food. Rape and cabbage or kale give way to turnips in late 

 July or early August, and the allowance of " corn " is kept up 

 to from i Ib. to ij Ib. per head. This allowance is pretty 

 constant from birth, considering the cake given to the ewes, 

 which is, of course, supplied for the benefit of the lambs. 

 Weaning usually takes place in May, and the ewes then go on 

 to hard keep. 



Such is the system, so far as it can be described, by which 

 these lamb prodigies are produced. The most serious expense 

 is probably the cake and corn, but the total amount consumed 

 per head is not so serious as might at first be thought. At the 

 very fair allowance of i Ib. per head per day for the entire 

 period of the lamb's short life it would not be more than 200 

 Ibs., and 2 cwt. would probably give all that is required. At 8s. 

 per cwt. this equals i6s., so that we are probably justified in 

 stating that the corn and cake costs well within 205. a head. 

 The increase in value due to the cake is, I submit, consider- 

 ably beyond these sums, so that it appears probable that these 

 lambs pay for the cake. Lambs treated according to the 

 system just described have been sold at 643. each on August 

 ist, and could not have been worth 445. apiece without cake 

 and corn, so that we have good reason for thinking that the 

 cake and corn is paid for, and more than paid for, by the 

 increased value of the sheep. 



Careful shepherding, suitable land, plenty of change, liberal 



allowance of concentrated foods, and a good breed to work 



upon, are the chief points required in order to secure success. 



The remaining points of management are the tailing of the 



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