SHE 



SHE 



38^ 



from which many of these direc- 

 tioDS are abridged) thinks fort} 

 ewes are not too many for one 

 ram : and says that instances are 

 not unfrequcnt, where one ram 

 has served double ai»d even treble 

 that number. If the ram, how- 

 ever, be not well kept, where so 

 many ewes are allowed, he will be 

 in danger of being injured. 



Sheep need no water in the sum- 

 mer, as they feed when the dew is 

 on. In winter they should have 

 access to it. When sheep have 

 colds and discharge mucus from 

 the nose, good feeding, together 

 with pine boughs, given them oc- 

 casionally, will cure them ; or tar 

 spread over a board, over which a 

 little fine salt is strewed, will in- 

 duce sheep to lick up the tar, 

 and this will cure a cold. 



If sheep are fed with a little In- 

 dian corn, about half a gill a day 

 to each, it will keep them in good 

 heart, prevent the wool from fall- 

 ing off, and enable the ewes to 

 rear their young much better. 

 They should have the best of hay 

 through the winter, and red clover 

 is esteemed the best. About a 

 peck of salt applied to every ton 

 of hay is recommended. The rack 

 in which the hay is put should be 

 upright, so that in feeding the 

 seeds, chaff, &;c. may not fall into 

 the wool about their necks. Un- 

 der the rack should be a trough 

 for catching the seeds of the hay, 

 and feeding the sheep. 



Sheep should have a yard by 

 themselves, which should be spa- 

 cious in proportion to the number 

 of the flock. They should have a 

 shelter, close over head, but not so 

 49 



close at the. sides as to preclude 

 the free circulaiion of air. It 

 should be so large as not to cause 

 the sheep to be crowded. It should 

 contain some small apartments in 

 which to keep the ewes a few days- 

 previous to, and after they have 

 lambs. These should be fed dur- 

 ing this time with succulent food, 

 and their apartments kept well-lit- 

 tered. The fence round the sheep 

 yard should be such as to keep out 

 dogs. If the flock he large, the 

 wethers should be kept by them- 

 selves. They do not require so 

 good keeping as the ewes and 

 young sheep. 



Flocks of sheep thrive the bet- 

 ter for being changed frequently, 

 and those will be most benefited 

 which are taken from poor and put 

 into rich pastures. Their pastures 

 should be clear of weeds, briars 

 and burrs. Clover gives the best 

 pasture for sheep. There is a 

 species of laurel which is poisonous 

 to sheep. 



Mr. L. Hommedieu says, that an 

 ointment made of gunpowder and 

 brimstone, finely powdered and 

 mixed with currier's oil, and ap- 

 plied to the throats of she p. will 

 prevent wolves from killing them. 

 This must be renewed as often as 

 the ointment loses its moisture, 

 which may be four or five times in 

 a season. 



Merino sheep are the most pro- 

 fitable. Mr. Livingston, m de- 

 scribing the result of his sheep 

 shearing in 1808, says, that from 

 twenty nine common sheep he had 

 upwards of one hundred and four- 

 teen pounds, which he sold at 

 thirty-seven and an half cents a 



