146 BRITISH SHEEP AND SHEPHERDING. 



grass-land it is necessary to be among long-wool sheep constantly 

 in the spring or heavy loss may be sustained. In-lamb ewes 

 are liable to displace the foetus and lamb prematurely if cast. 

 The danger of casting is one reason why sheep lying in a big field 

 should be put up by the sheep-dog when the shepherd goes to 

 them, as it is possible for him in a hurried glance to overlook one, 

 which would die if not turned on to its feet. The shepherd should 

 see that the turnips are well cleaned before being placed in the 

 turnip cutter for slicing. A piece of sickle or fagging hook makes 

 the best cleaner. When a shepherd receives no help he must 

 set the turnip cutter near to the heap of clean roots and fill the 

 machine by means of a spike driven into a short stick, held in one 

 hand, while he turns the machine with the other. It is quicker 

 and easier than filling the hopper and then turning the machine. 

 Kohl-rabi are very hard, and the root-stalk must be cut off ; a 

 skilful man cuts these off as he chops the root with the long-handled 

 adze usually employed for getting up the crop, but a careless man 

 leaves on a stump which is so tough as to make the slicing hard work. 



So much of the profit of sheep-keeping is derived from the manure 

 that the management of the sheep must always be carried on with 

 a view to distributing the manure so as to do the greatest good 

 and the least harm. When feeding on pasture the troughs should 

 be moved daily and not be kept near the gate to save trouble 

 to a lazy shepherd. The sheep follow the troughs, and the manure 

 is thus more equally distributed. The same applies to all cases 

 where sheep lie out in large fields. Special pains must be taken 

 on arable land where it is intended to take a corn crop subsequently. 

 The troughs require constant moving, but another matter requires 

 attention. When turnips have been heaped and the rootlets 

 and dirt require cutting off before they are put into the turnip 

 cutter, a heap of rich mould accumulates, and this, if not spread 

 carefully about the ground, will cause a gross growth on the spot, 

 probably resulting in the crop falling before harvest and becoming 

 stained. These small patches of fallen grain are very difficult 

 to keep separate, yet in the case of barley they will cause such 

 an uneven sample that the corn will not realise so much by several 

 shillings per quarter throughout the field. Dirt and other accumula- 

 tions in the troughs should also be spread about and not allowed 

 to lie in a heap. For the same reason when sheep are placed in a 

 small pen for handling they should not be allowed to remain too 

 long, or the patch will become over-manured. 



Unhealthy Foods. A shepherd of experience generally knows 

 to what he should attribute any ordinary ailment. The matter of 

 paralysis through giving the sheep an over-supply of nitrogenous 

 matter has been gone into in a previous chapter, and need not be 

 enlarged upon here. If the bowels are too much relaxed it is either 



