202 SHEEP I BREEDS AND MANAGEMENT. 



and may consider it as leaving a profit to the lessor, and, 

 therefore, liberal. I assume the cost of food from June ist to 

 October ist, or for seventeen and a-half weeks, at 3d. From 

 October ist to February ist is a time of greater scarcity. 

 The ewes must have hay, turnips and grazing, and I estimate 

 the cost at 4d. per head, believing that in most seasons we 

 could take keep at this figure. On February ist I shall 

 assume that the ewe produces her lamb, and that she begins 

 to receive a little corn within a few days of that event. I 

 shall, therefore, raise the cost of keep to a figure suitable for 

 couples, and place it at 8d. from yeaning to weaning on June 

 ist. This figure we may divide, if necessary, into two 

 portions namely, 5d. for the ewes, and 3d. for the lambs. 



Food is, however, not the only item of cost, for we have 

 labour, cost of ram service, risk, actual loss, interest on 

 money, and incidental expenses, such as hurdles, troughs, 

 carting, &c., some of which are exceedingly difficult to esti- 

 mate. These items, even when estimated on a liberal scale, 

 do not reach a high price per sheep per week. Take labour, 

 for example, as assessed highly at 250 ewes per man at wages 

 equivalent to i per week. This is evidently id. per week 

 upon 240 ewes, which must be regarded as excessive. As 

 this is a very principal item, we take it at id. per week, and 

 we are disposed to put all other expense at another id. per 

 week. Losses at 5 per cent, on an average figure of 523. is 

 5 per cent, on is. per week, which is actually i-2oth part of 

 is. per sheep per week, or rather over ^d. 



We think we are now in a position to make an estimate as 

 to the cost of keeping a ewe for a year. 



s. d. 

 Keep from June ist to October ist, 17^ weeks at 3d.... ... ... 4 4^ 



,, Oct. ist to February ist, i; weeks at 4d. . ,.. 5 10 



i, Feb. ist to June ist, 17 weeks at $d 7 i 



Labour for 52 weeks at id. ... 4 4 



Other expenses and risks at id. per week, including ram service ... 4 4 



i 5 "i 



