MAY.] CLOSE FEEDING. 26() 



opinion ; and that it is impossible to keep as many 

 sheep upon any farm in one flock as in 1O or -2(). 

 The farmer knows nearly what number each field 

 will carry, and they ought to be distributed accord- 

 ingly, with the precaution of having a pen at one 

 corner in order for examining them daily when the 

 fly is abroad. Here if they arc left,, with no other 

 changing than drawing off a few, or adding, ac- 

 cording to extremes of season, they will do well 

 whether fattening, or ewes and lambs ; and after- 

 wards I minuted the following note : " I continue 

 of opinion, that the quantity of stock I am enabled 

 to keep, depends much on the practice of dividing 

 the flock into small parcels, and leaving them quiet 

 in their respective fields, without folding; and that 

 if they were in one parcel, and folded, they would 

 on this breadth of land be starved. I cannot but 

 urge gentlemen on enclosed farms to make some 

 experiments on this great question, in order to 

 ascertain the loss they sustain in the number of 

 sheep they keep, by adhering to the practice of 

 folding ; of the benefit of which, for corn, there 

 is no doubt ; but the price paid for that be- 

 nefit ought to be better understood than I find 

 it. Vague ideas have been long the guide of num- 

 bers : it is high time that, on such essential points, 

 positive experiment should alone be attended to." 



CLOSE FEEDING. 



In the distribution of sheep there is another 

 point which demands attention, which is the bene- 

 fit of close feeding. Here I shall insert a minute 

 which was made on a year's feeding with attention. 



The 



