SHEEP. 171 



thousand dollars for " Dexter." If you want fast colts you 

 must have the sires at least, from fast stock. It would be better 

 if you could have both marc and horse too from stock remark- 

 able for speed. After the colt is born, then take care of him ; 

 keep him in comfortable quarters ; feed him on fine food ; keep 

 up his growth and courage with care and delicate feeding ; 

 handle him often and make a pet of him ; train him early to 

 trotting, only be careful not to. strain him, and if he does not 

 make a remarkable trotter, he will make a fine horse. The 

 Arabs stand at this day, at the head of the horse breeders. 

 Let us give heed to those who are masters of the art. With 

 them we find more stress laid on the quality of the mare than 

 the horse. A first-rate mare cannot be bought from an Arab. 

 As the farmers of our county have to use such mares for breed- 

 ing as they happen to have, they can only rely for improvement 

 now on the qualities of the sire, when they propose to raise a 

 colt. But let them seek carefully for the very best pointed mare 

 they can find, and with a good-blooded stock-horse, they will 

 very much improve the progeny. 



For the Committee, 



E. M. Gardner. 



SHEEP. 



HAMPSHIRE, FRANKLIN AND HAMPDEN. 



From the Report of the Committee. 



Sheep-raising should attract the attention of every farmer, as 

 sheep will subsist on herbage that is rejected by other stock ; 

 sorrel by them is esteemed equal to clover. On dry, gravelly 

 soils, producing mostly sorrel and weeds, where other animals 

 would starve, sheep thrive, and become the favorites of epicures. 

 As most farms have pasturage suited to their wants, the raising 

 of a few sheep at least is worthy of consideration ; large fi.ocks 

 may not be desirable in this locality, (the great West being the 

 appropriate field, especially for growing wool,) a suitable num- 

 ber proportioned to the capacity and circumstances of the farm 



