to be formed the series of subordinate drains, 

 communicatingr with the main drain. They are 

 of the same dimensions as the feeders, with this 

 distinction, that they are widest and deepest 

 where they communicate with the main drain, 

 and become gradually smaller to the upper part 

 of the meadow, where they terminate. The sur- 

 face of the meadow being formed, the grass- 

 seeds, where no turf has been reserved, are to 

 be sown. The following admixture of grasses 

 will be found suitable :— 1. Alopecurus praten- 

 sis— meadow foxtail ; 2. Phleum pratense— 

 meadow cafs-tail ; 3. Agrostis alba — marsh bent 

 grass ; 4. Poa trivialis — rough-stalked meadow- 

 grass ; 5. Poa pratensis — smooth-stalked mea- 

 dow-grass ; 6. Festuca loliacea — spiked fescue 

 grass ; 7. Festuca pratensis — meadow fes- 

 cue. When the old turf has been replaced, the 

 water, it has been said, may be admitted in the 

 first winter ; when grass-seeds have been sown, 

 the water cannot be admitted until the second 

 winter, and sometimes even not until the third. 

 The ground should be depa.stured with sheep 

 during the first summer to such a degree as to 

 prevent the plants from putting forth their flow- 

 ering stems and producing seeds. 



The next point to be considered is the man- 

 agement of the meadow when completed. At 

 the beginning of October, we are to prepare for 

 admitting the water. To this end the drains and 

 feeders are to be cleaned out, and the banks 

 where injured repaired. The main sluice 

 is then to be withdrawn, when the conductors 

 and feeders will be gradually filled. The next 

 point is to adjust the water in the several feed- 

 ers. To this end the workman is to observe 

 that each feeder, beginning with the first in or- 

 der, receives a due quantity of water. If not, 

 he enlarges the mouth so as to allow the proper 

 quantity to enter. He then adjusts the tops in 

 the several feeders, so that the whole surface of 

 the beds shall be covered equally about an inch 

 deep with water. During this and the three 

 following months — namely, November, Decem- 

 ber, andManuary — the ground is to be regularly 

 flooded for 15 or 20 days at a time, with inter- 

 missions at each time of seven of eight days, dur- 

 ing which the ground is to be laid perfectly dry. 

 Farther, when severe frost is threatened, the 

 water is in like manner to be withdrawn, so as 

 that it may not freeze upon the surface. During 

 this, the principal periods of flooding, the mea- 

 dow is to be inspected every three or four days, 

 to see that no interruption from the breaking of 

 banks, accumulation of weeds, or otherwise, is 

 given to the flowing of the water. When the 

 spring months arrive, and grasses begin to grow, 

 the periods of flooding are to be shortened. In 

 the month of February the water should never 

 be allowed to flow above six or seven days at a 

 time, and in severe frosts it should be withdrawn, 

 so that no ice may be formed upon the meadow. 

 The same management, shortening from five to 

 six days the periods of flooding, may be contin- 

 ued till the middle of March, by which time the 

 meadow will be ready for receiving any kind of 

 stock. In this manner an early supply of her- 

 bage is obtained ; and after the stock has been 

 removed, as by the beginning of May. the flood- 

 in? may be resumed and continued till near the 

 end of the month, so as to prepare the meadow 

 for hay. But often this spring feeding is notre- 

 8orted"to. The irrigation is continued during the 

 months of March, April, and until the middle of 

 May, when it finally ceases. But during this 

 period, the frequency and length of time of wa- 

 (904) 



tering are gradually diminished from five or six 

 days in March, to two or three in the latter pe- 

 riod of flooding. Caution is required in flooding 

 as the season advances ; because, were the finer 

 gras-ses to be too long submerged at this period 

 of growth, they vi'ould be injured and destroy- 

 ed. The actual periods of flooding differ with 

 the state of the season and Uie nature of the soil. 

 A practical rule adopted for irrigation is, never 

 to continue to flood when a white scum is seen 

 to form on the surface of the water, for this indi- 

 cates that the putrefactive fermentation has com- 

 menced in the turf By the middle of May. or 

 rarely later, the flooding is to cease, and the land 

 to be laid thoroughly dry. The grasses will now 

 grow with great luxuriance, and produce an 

 abundant crop of hay. When the hay is re- 

 moved, the aftermath is depastured, after which 

 the same process of flooding recommences. 

 Sometimes, after the hay is removed, the ground 

 is again flooded; but in this case, no sheep must 

 be admitted on the flooded land, or, if admitted, 

 they must be such sheep as are to be immediate- 

 ly killed ; for this summer flooding never fails 

 to briMg with it the disease of rot in its most de- 

 structive form. In place of the meadow being 

 applied to the production of hay, it may oe ap- 

 plied to the production of green forage for .soil- 

 ing. This is a more profitable mode of applyinj 

 the watered meadow than for the production of 

 hay. Three crops, in this case, may be taken, 

 the meadow being flooded after each crop is re- 

 moved. [Professor Low on Landed Propeity. 



COST OF SHEEP KEEPING IN ILLINOIS. 



BT A. CHUBCHILL. 



Messrs. Editors: J. S. Skinner requests 

 some of your correspondents to show, " by 

 figures, at how low a price for wool, sheep-grow- 

 ing may be followed as a livelihood." It will 

 be a hard task for any one person to answer the 

 question for the whole State, or even for one 

 county, as the facilities for keeping sheep vary 

 with every individual who keeps them; and 

 without collecting an amount of sheep and feed 

 statistics, at present entirely beyond the reach 

 of anj' one man, a correct answer cannot be 

 given. But I will attempt to give him there- 

 suit of my estimate where the summer range on 

 native feed is extensive, and where native hay 

 can be cut in abundance. 



I shall estimate for a flock of 1000, allowing a 

 shepherd continually with them during the day, 

 and folds for the night. 



Expense of shepherd, including hoard $200 



Two hundred tons of hay. cut find stacked. 200 

 Interest on fixtures and incidentals ■ 100 



Total S500 



Thus it seems that according to my estimat*^, 

 fifty cents per head would be the lea.st at which 

 they could be kept. The shepherd coi;ld not 

 be dispensed with during summer, unless the 

 wolves were destroyed and the pasture fenced 

 and well set with English crass. 



There is one flock of 1000, wintering in Da 

 Paarc county, the cost of which will be about 

 seventy cents per head. The flock arrived late, 

 and the feed must be purchased a little here and 

 a little there, which adds at least fifty per cent. 

 to the cost of wintering. 



Wool should not be less than twenty cents 

 per pound to enable the wool-grower to make a 

 " livelihood " of it in Nortliem Illinois. 



To Mr. Crocker's queries I would say that alter 



