[102] 



clear water. The mustard patch heretofore spoken of is a 

 fine stimulant to the appetite during winter months. We 

 refer the reader to the article on rye, wheat and barley pas- 

 tures, which will be sufficient with the addition of very little 

 grain indeed to take them well and fat through the cold 

 months in Tennessee. 



FATTENING SHEEP FOB MUTTON. 



Much consideration is due to the age and previous condi- 

 tion of a sheep that is going to be prepared for market. 

 From this circumstance it is absolutely necessary that the 

 flock should be divided. The age must be thought of, 

 whether it is growing or is in a state of maturity, whether 

 there is a drain upon its powers as in the case of an ewe 

 being with or suckling a lamb, or whether a ram is serving 

 females. The flock should be graded to these views, and 

 different quarters provided for each class. We give the fol- 

 lowing experiment of Dr. Voelcker, of the Royal Agricul- 

 tural Society of England, as a sort of guide for giving the 

 proper quantity and quality of different kinds of food : 



He fed four sheep seven weeks and they consumed 196 

 pounds clover hay, 49 pounds linseed oil-cake, 3,743 pounds 

 mangel- wurtzels, which gave a daily ration to each animal 

 of 1 pound clover hay, 4 ounces oil-cake, and 19J pounds 

 mangels. The nutritive elements contained in this daily 

 ration, according to our table, was 4J ounces flesh formers, 

 53 J ounces fat formers, and 4| ounces of mineral matters. 

 Here is the effect. 



Weight at At end of Gain of each 



commencement. seven weeks. in weight. 



No. 1 153 pounds. 170^ pounds. 17i pounds. 



No. 2 134 " 151J " 17J " 



No. 3 170 " 187 " 17 " 



No. 4 135 155 " 20 



.Each sheep gained on an average one pound in three days, 

 or one pound for every fifty-six pounds of food consumed ; 

 or for every sixty-two ounces of dry matter contained in the 

 food. It has been demonstrated by frequent experiment 



