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any more mud or slush around the building than is possible, 

 and the floor, whether of the earth or of plank, must be 

 strewed with straw for bedding. It should be the duty of 

 one hand, at least twice a week, to rake up and cart out all 

 the droppings and the old straw that have become saturated 

 with the urine. If the manure heap is made within the 

 enclosure, it must be so arranged that the sheep cannot sleep 

 on it. If allowed, its warmth ensuing from fermentation, 

 will be an invitation to the sheep to sleep on it. The gases, 

 especially ammonia, arising from it, will have a very delete- 

 rious effect on their health. It is therefore absolutely requi- 

 site to have it without the enclosure or protect it from them. 



To more effectually prevent the yard from becoming a 

 slough of mud, it is better that the eaves of the shed should 

 be guttered with either tin or two planks nailed edges to- 

 gether, forming a trough which, with a little attention, will 

 answer all the purposes of a more expensive arrangement. 

 This is more easily accomplished when the shed forms one 

 end of the enclosure. Should, however, the shed be in the 

 center of the enclosure, the water must still be conveyed 

 from the yard by means of troughs, as otherwise in the 

 winter it would be very difficult to keep it in a dry condi- 

 tion, and sheep more than any other animal require dryness 

 under foot. 



There is very little or no care bestowed upon the cleaning 

 up and gathering together of sheep manure in our State. 

 We are hereditarily a slovenly people in farming, and the 

 value of manure has never been a factor in estimating the 

 value of farm products. Sheep manure, from its coldness, 

 does not easily ferment like horse dung, and therefore re- 

 tains its value much longer than the excrement of the 

 horse or man. It ranks among the very best of the ma- 

 nures produced by animals, especially from those sheep that 

 are fed with rich food for fattening purposes. As has been 

 already stated, the mastication of sheep is so perfect 

 there is no danger of weed seeds coming up after having 



