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fair shelter under ordinary circumstances. Besides this, a 

 large portion of the " rim" lands of Tennessee, and all the 

 mountain ranges, have a thick, heavy undergrowth of black 

 jack, oak, hickory, and other sorts of trees, under which 

 sheep are safely housed during the rigors of winter. But 

 these natural shelters must be supplemented with an abun- 

 dance of good nourishing food; and right here is the expla- 

 nation of the frequent failures of sheep- raising in the bar- 

 rens and on the table-lands of the mountains. Persons go 

 there with large flocks, and run them on the ranges through 

 the summer, and are delighted to see them in fine condition 

 in the fall. Seeing an abundance of grass covered by the 

 falling leaves and long-bent grasses, they believe they can 

 successfully carry them through the winter without further 

 food than that afforded by nature. But the leaves have 

 hid much of the grass, and the snows more, and the grass 

 by constant moisture has its nutritious qualities washed out, 

 so that what little the sheep get is procured with much diffi- 

 culty, and this being quite innutritions, the stomach of the 

 sheep really will not digest enough to keep up its condi- 

 tion. Therefore they soon begin to lose flesh, the wool not 

 receiving a proper nourishment is scant and rugged, and 

 disease soon puts in to finish what starvation began. Thus 

 it is that the cold bleak winds of March blow through 

 them, destroying in some instances entire flocks. They will 

 then pronounce anathemas against the country, and make 

 every effort to deter others from making the same effort. 

 On the contrary it rests solely with the flock-master whether 

 or not the business should be a success. He should provide 

 shelters sufficient to defend them from the severities of a 

 mountain winter and store up food enough in his barns to 

 keep up the condition derived from the summer pasturage. 



To feed well, therefore, is the first duty of the shepherd, 

 and to supply shelters only so far as is requisite to defend 

 them from unusual cold so as to keep up the standard of 

 health, is the second duty. 



