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for your flock, and get in about fifty or one hundred pounds of hay per 

 head as well, in stacks near where you keep the sheep. A run in a corn 

 stubble with half a pint of corn (one ear) for each sheep per day, and 

 some hay ought to keep them in good order. But you can get a fine win- 

 ter pasture by seeding down some open sheltered woodland with orchard 

 and 'blue grass, one-half bushel of each per acre. Cut the hay in June, 

 and let it grow up without feeding until other ground is bare. The sheep 

 may go into green grass to their bellies in this way in November and 

 later, and feed well until spring. They will even get enough feed when 

 grass is covered with snow by pawing the grass clear for themselves. The 

 corn and hay are only for emergencies, but I would feed half a pint of 

 corn anyhow ; you will get it back in the wool. 



Success in sheep-keeping is gained by constant observation, and the in- 

 stant reparation of any thing that is going wrong. The chief things to 

 avoid are damp pastures, stagnant water, banks of streams, too much 

 shelter; and the chief needs are pure spring water, dry soil, and pure, 

 fresh, cool air. With these requisites and protection from dogs (a shot- 

 gun and a bottle of strychnine, quietly used where it will do the most good, 

 will do for the dogs), you should succeed without doubt, and if even you 

 fail wholly the first year, it will be the way to success the next. Increase 

 the flock cautiously; buy young ewes with good teeth and good fleeces; use 

 very few medicines, give salt regularly ; don't coddle lambs or ewes ; make 

 them tame and friendly with you, so that they will follow you and put 

 their noses in your hands, and you can do any thing with them. 



" The good shepherd loves his sheep, and they follow him ; " this is 

 true now as ever. Lastly, don't invest more than a fourth of your capital 

 to begin with, salt away the balance, and the second year begin to use it, 

 as you can see clearly to do so. 



If any points need further elucidation, write again. In this business 

 any time is good to begin. If you begin in the fall you have to buy feed; 

 if in the spring you can raise it. 



