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elusive tests of the excellence of his management ; and like- 

 wise the remarkable fact that, although his flock is of the 

 finest-wooled Saxony, he frequently raises more than one hun- 

 dred lambs to one hundred ewes ; and a death among his lambs 

 is a rare occurrence. He is of opinion that one ton of hay will 

 winter ten Saxony sheep. 



A good farmer in Heath and another in Leyden, experienced 

 and well-skilled in the management of sheep, use boiled pota- 

 toes mixed with meal and made into thin swill for their ewes, 

 before and at the time of lambing. 



The county of Franklin is in many parts well adapted to 

 the raising of wool, and to the sheep-husbandry generally ; to 

 the raising of early lambs for the market, and the fatting of^ 

 wethers. This applies particularly to the hill towns. Pastur- 

 age is there in many cases distant from the habitations, and 

 mountainous ; on these accounts sheep are to be preferred to 

 any other stock. It is believed, likewise, that sheep will, upon 

 the whole, yield a better return than any other stock. The 

 low price of wool operates as a great discouragement ; but this 

 kind of stock is of easy management, and the returns are, in 

 general, quick and certain. Of the kind of sheep to be chosen, 

 the intelligent farmer will, without difficulty, determine from 

 the facts which I have stated in the preceding pages. Success, 

 however, is certain only to exactness, care, and vigilance. It 

 is, I think, especially to be desired that farmers in the sheep- 

 husbandry should go largely into the raising of roots, — potatoes 

 and turnips especially, both the white flat turnip and the ruta- 

 baga ; by this means they will very much increase their ability 

 of keeping, and consequently may extend proportionately the 

 numbers kept ; and likev/ise very much improve the condition 

 of those which are kept. 



The use of the ruta-baga is objected to by many farmers on 

 account of their injuring the teeth, or making the mouths of 

 the sheep sore ; for this reason they should be cut fine, and not 

 given whole, as is done by some. Several machines have been 

 invented for this purpose, varying in price from two to ten dol- 



