1016 THE PEOPLE'S FARM AND STOCK CYCLOPEDIA. 



ought to be removed or not. If the ewes pasture freely on old 

 grass the stable ought to be cleaned out every ten days ; if on 

 dry feed, once a month will answer. The penalty for allowing 

 ewes to sleep in an atmosphere foul with ammonia is, a number of 

 still-born lambs in the spring, ewes disowning their lambs be- 

 cause they are sick and have no milk, and, lastly, a quantity 

 of cotted fleeces at shearing-time. When sheep begin to dig 

 their bellies with their hind feet it is a proof that the stable 

 ought to be cleaned out, and that it ought to have been done 

 before. 



In default of roots grown specially for them the small refuse 

 potatoes or apples of the farm may be given to breeding ewes 

 with advantage. It is much better to feed out small potatoes 

 than to plant them. An excellent provision of green rye may 

 be had by sowing a bushel of seed per acre in the standing corn 

 if it is not lodged about the first of September, just after or 

 before a good rain. If not required for fall and winter pasturage 

 it may be sown after the corn is cut, and plowed in with a shovel- 

 plow. The greatest, perhaps the only, drawback to the use of 

 green rye for pregnant ewes is, that on rich bottom-land the 

 young plant is apt to contain the same fungoid spores which in 

 the mature grain develop into ergot ; and this will cause prema- 

 ture delivery and a disowning of the lamb. Hence ewes should 

 not be turned upon it until a week or ten days after yeaning. 

 On uplands green rye is safe. 



The necessity of tagging before the flock is turned upon grass 

 is so obvious as to require mere mention to the observant farmer ; 

 but many are deterred from tagging pregnant ewes by fear of 

 injury to the unborn lambs. With any decent care in handling 

 this danger is very slight. The ewe may with safety be turned 

 in any position if it is not done with violence. And the impor- 

 tance of tagging is so great, the results arising from a neglect 

 of it are so abominable, that it ought to be done at all hazards. 

 Let the udder be shorn clean, the inside of the hind legs, and a 

 liberal margin along the posterior of the hams, and so around 

 and quite above the tail, for if the wool is as long as it ought 

 to be it will soon fall over after tagging and collect filth. At 



