ON SHEEP. 



4T 



JAMES MARSH'S STATEMENT. 



To the Committee on Sheep. 



Gentlemen, — I present for premium 1 Buck and six native sheep 

 being a sample of my flock of fifty. In presenting which I offer a 

 few remarks. My attention to keeping sheep was first called up by 

 the state of my pastures, they being bushy and too rocky to plough 

 without too much expense, my cattle would not keep them down with, 

 out bemg kept too short. I found mowing did but little towards 

 subduing them. About seven years since I was induced to try 

 sheep by way of experiment in subduing bushes without much re- 

 gard to the profits of the sheep. I accordingly procured six, the 

 next year I increased my flock to fourteen, these I kept on a pas- 

 ture that would have about half kept a cow, the sheep did well, the 

 pasture did much better. I have since increased my flock to fifty 

 and intend still to increase it further. My method is to cut the bush- 

 es close and keep as many sheep as will keep them down, and each 

 year give them as many more as they will subdue in this way. I 

 have nearly destroyed all the barberry, blueberry, blackberry, and 

 raspberry bushes (and they were very plenty) in my pastures. The 

 above named bushes are favorite food for sheep they will not suffer 

 a green leaf to remain in their reach. My pasture where they have 

 run produces more than double the feed it did before. 



The two past years I have been trying an experiment on about 

 twenty-five acres of land principally covered with wood-wax and 

 barberry bushes (entirely worthless for neat stock) which has ex- 

 ceeded my most sanguine expectations. Wliile the sheep have done 

 well, the wood-wax has decreased nearly one half, I thmk in a few 

 years it will entirely run out. 



I am fully convinced that most of the old mossy, bushy pasture of 

 Essex County might be much improved by keeping sheep. My 

 method would be not to keep them with neat stock, but keep as many 

 sheep as the lot would pasture and change yearly or as often as 

 they performed their task of subduing bushes, the result would be a 

 large increase of feed the years following the sheep. 



My manner of treatment is to see them often, give them salt about 

 once a week, keep them well sheltered from storms, and by a little 

 feed and kind words to keep them as gentle as possible so that I can 

 call my Avhole flock as far as they can hear my voice. They will do 

 well out as long as the ground is bare. I then yard them until 



