124 BRITISH SHEEP AND SHEPHERDING. 



of summer, when they are first weaned, it is generally easy to 

 find fresh, sweet food for them, but as the season advances it 

 becomes more difficult. Unless lambs get sweet keep they soon 

 " go wrong." " Going wrong " conveys a special meaning to 

 sheep-keepers, as it implies that there is a derangement of the 

 digestive organs, which is shown by the lambs becoming con- 

 stipated or too open, more usually the latter ; the wool becomes 

 dry and harsh, and instead of lying smoothly and sleekly, is rough 

 and broken, while they lose flesh, and no amount of food appears 

 to do them good. This state of affairs is very commonly brought 

 about by stale or sour keep. Food may be freshly grown, succu- 

 lent, and to all appearances favourable for animal food, and yet 

 be distinctly injurious to young sheep. " Stale food " is most 

 commonly found growing on land which a short time previously 

 was fed off by sheep. It becomes soured by the droppings of the 

 sheep, though in what way is not definitely known, but it has been 

 suggested that the souring is due to a larger quantity of magnesia 

 being taken up by the plants from the manure recently deposited. 

 More probably, however, it is caused by parasitic worms or specific 

 germs. Rape fed off by sheep in summer is soured ; yet after 

 standing over the winter, and being subjected to frosting, it 

 becomes sweet and wholesome, no magnesia having been dis- 

 persed from it, though it may have undergone some chemical 

 change which has not been discovered. Temporary leys in which 

 there is a large proportion of clover are dangerous in this respect. 

 However, if the young sheep are not turned on again until after 

 a crop has been taken off by mowing, no harm will as a rule come 

 of it. It appears that the first flush of growth after feeding is 

 the dangerous portion. Grass land is influenced to a lesser, 

 though still a noticeable, degree. Cabbages fed off by sheep 

 and allowed to sprout again are dangerous to young sheep if fed 

 before winter. Old sheep, having more robust systems, do nob 

 feel the effect in a similar manner. In feeding off his crops during 

 the early part of the year the farmer has to look forward and 

 arrange that there will be a supply of sweet fodder throughout 

 summer. The aftermath of seeds and meadows are a source 

 of reliance, and cabbages and kale are of great value during the 

 period between hay-time and the end of harvest, when there 

 will be fresh stubbles, and probably white turnips, available also. 

 Early rape may be fit to stock, though only that sown very early 

 will be sufficiently grown. Autumn-sown vetches should be avail- 

 able until July, when spring-sown vetches should come in. If a 

 good succession of crops like these is grown there should be little 

 serious difficulty in finding ample sweet food for the tegs until 

 autumn. Our own experience has shown us that there is nothing 

 equal to cabbages and kale as food from July to September ; they 



