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stand, and that is wet feet. They require a dry soil, and if 

 it is not by nature sufficiently rolling to pass off the surplus 

 water of the rainfalls, it must, to agree with them, be made 

 so artificially. It would not pay to drain any large body 

 of land for the sole purpose of raising sheep, and yet it will 

 not pay to keep sheep on swampy lands. Hence the neces- 

 sity of avoiding such. There is plenty of land naturally 

 suited, having all the requirements necessary, and it is better 

 to confine the business to such places. 



Another thing. Do not expect to raise large sheep, or 

 large fleeces, on poor pasturage, unless it is assisted by 

 liberal feeding. The fleece on poor pastures will be coarse, 

 scanty, and be disposed to shed. Another thing. Ewes 

 will not bear twins on scant feed. If a flock is on a rich 

 pasture the ewes will in a short time begin to double, and 

 they will continue to do so as long as the food is generous. 

 But change them to a poor scant pasturage and they will at 

 once drop back to single lambs. Let it be understood, how- 

 ever, when the expression rich herbage is used, it is not 

 meant that the heaviest, most luxuriant pastures are the best. 

 On the contrary, sheep will do better on short, rich, close 

 croped grass than on long grass. It must be rich, but at the 

 same time it must be well cut or cropped. 



The best lands for the business abound in our State. 

 The soil over primitive rocks, such as granitoid, feldspathic, 

 or micaceous, such as is found in upper East Tennessee, are 

 well suited for the production of sheep. The sandstone 

 soil of the Cumberland table- lands, being dry, and produc- 

 ing an abundant herbage, are admirably adapted for sheep 

 walks. In fact, all the soils of the State, except such as are 

 swampy, are well adapted to the business. But let it be con- 

 sidered beforehand thoroughly. Let there be no spasmodic 

 effort to make a fortune in a few years. The profits come 

 slowly but surely, and when one has once made up his mind 

 to make it his life business, his fortune is already assured. 

 With proper care and attention a flock will double itself 



