22 THE SHEPHERD'S MANUAL. 



suitable for a pasture, the character of soils, and the water, should 

 be part of the education of every shepherd. 



The exposure of the pasture is another important consideration. 

 Long continued cold winds are productive of great discomfort and 

 sickness, and often cause serious loss amongst the flock. On the 

 sea coast, exposure to the moist sea breezes injures the quality of 

 the wool, and renders it harsh and deficient in quantity. Of two 

 adjoining flocks upon opposite sides of a hill facing north and 

 south, the sheep exposed to the north winds will be several pounds 

 less in weight, and their wool will be whiter, harsher, more uneven, 

 and less healthy looking, than those of the flock upon the south side. 

 This experience is very common. The lambs will also be less 

 thrifty. Of this, many notable cases occur every season where 

 sheep and lambs are pastured and fed for the markets. The small 

 size of sheep raised upon mountain pastures is a case in point. 



Where the pasture is circumscribed or poor, it may be supple- 

 mented by sowed green crops to be fed on the ground, or cut and 

 fed in racks upon the pasture, or cut and carried to yards and fed 

 there at night in racks. Of these, rye, clover, mustard, rape, tares, 

 and oats and peas mixed, furnish an abundant supply. Rye is 

 sown early in the fall for winter and early spring feeding. For 

 this purpose it should be sown thickly, three bushels per acre 

 being a fair allowance upon fairly good soil, early in August up 

 to the middle of September. The sheep may be turned upon the 

 crop in December, and at intervals as may be found proper, up to 

 April, when it may be plowed down for a spring crop. Upon 

 light lands, where the winters admit of it, as in some of the middle 

 and southern states, this may be made an excellent means of im- 

 proving the soil ; some additional feed, as bran, pea-meal, corn, or 

 cotton-seed-meal, (freed from the hull which is indigestible and 

 injurious), will much assist in this improvement of the soil as well 

 as in bettering the condition of the sheep. 



After rye, clover sown the previous spring, but not pastured, 

 will come in turn. This will furnish pasture through the summer 

 if kept well stocked down, and a choice portion should be fenced 

 off for the lambs. By changing from one part of the field to an- 

 other, as one portion is eaten down, the new growth will be tender 

 and fresh. After June a part of the clover will run to seed, and 

 when the field is plowed in August or September, the seed will 

 help to re-sow the ground, which may then be sown to wheat or 

 rye. This makes an excellent preparation for these crops on lands 

 of a somewhat light character. 



White Mustard, (Sinapis alba), may be sown in May or June for 



