1196] 



wide and 50 feet long will comfortably shelter 125 to 150 

 sheep. It will be economy for the farmer to bed down 

 under the shed with straw. Not only will it make an excel- 

 lent article of manure, but it will protect the fleece from 

 dirt, give a dry footing for the sheep, and make them more 

 comfortable. For this purpose a good thick coating of straw 

 should be first spread out. In a week's time this will be 

 pretty evenly packed down and well saturated with urine, 

 and covered with manure. A complete covering of fresh, 

 clean straw should be spread over this, and as soon as it be- 

 comes soiled it should be removed, and a fresh layer spread 

 out. If the sheep are housed every night the bedding 

 should be renewed at least once a week. 



In making racks for hay care should be taken to make 

 them so close together as to prevent the sheep from getting 

 their heads hung between the bars, and thus slaughtering 

 them as is often the case, or they should be placed so far 

 apart that they can easily thrust in and withdraw their heads. 

 The ends of the racks should have bars placed across them 

 or a fine young lamb will be found tangled in the bars occa- 

 sionally, chilled to death. Three and a half or six inches 

 should be the rule. In the first distance they cannot get 

 in and in the latter they can get out. 



WINTEE FOOD. 



This important subject will have to be treated under two 

 heads, according to the requirements of the case. Under 

 ordinary circumstances but little attention is paid to the diet 

 of sheep save by those who have some extra fine sheep for 

 sale. The large majority of Tennessee farmers run their 

 flucks on the commons or on a fair winter pasture, and only 

 feed during excessive cold rains or snow, and then in a very 

 limited manner. The old rule of ante bellum farmers was 

 one ear of corn to every ten sheep, which simply amounts 

 to no feed at all. This was in addition to a few dirty shucks 

 or the most inferior fodder, they had no hay, and the freedom 



