SHEEP. 211 



adds, " there is scarcely a bush or plant, (except a few poisons,) 

 which sheep do not love to eat. I have many times seen sheep 

 turn from white clover, they like so well, to brakes and bushes. 

 My idea of sheep raising is this : A few graded kinds of sheep, 

 •with as wide a range of pasture as possible, and let the sheep 

 be kept well enough to raise twin lambs which will weigh 100 

 pounds each." 



William G. Wyman says : " You ask for my ' views, experi- 

 ence and observation ' in sheep husbandry, in reference to the 

 effect upon pasture lands of keeping sheep upon them, as com- 

 pared with that of other stock ; whether they ' will keep down 

 bushes, or in any way improve the pasture in which they are 

 kept ? ' 



" In reply, permit me to say that while I do not think all 

 pastures would be improved by keeping sheep upon them, or 

 that pastures generally -would be benefited by sheep to the 

 exclusion of all other stock, my own experience and observation 

 lead me to believe that most of the pastures in our county, and 

 in the vicinity, would be greatly enriched, their productiveness 

 largely increased, and their real value enhanced, if sheep were 

 fed in them in very much larger numbers than they now are, 

 either in immediate connection with horned cattle and horses, 

 or by occupying the pastures alternately with other cattle. 



" The effect upon bushes is very quickly observed. In my 

 own pasture, bushes which cows, oxen and horses would not 

 ' keep down,' have been entirely eradicated by sheep; when once 

 cut down the sheep eagerly nip the fresh leaves and tender 

 shoots of almost all bushes, shrubs and weeds, as fast as they 

 appear, and thus prevent their full development, so that they 

 soon die from sheer exiiaustion, and give place to the finer 

 grasses. I find that my sheep relish many plants which other 

 stock will not eat, so that if kept with other stock a pasture 

 will afford sufficient nourishment for more animals, in number 

 and weight, than it would of cows or horses alone. In other 

 words, two pastures will support more cows and sheep, if they 

 are permitted to feed together, or in each pasture in alternate 

 weeks or months, than if the sheep were confined to one 

 pasture and the cows to the other, through the entire season. 



But the greatest benefit which our worn-out pastures derive 

 from sheep, is from their droppings. And in this connection, 



