GENERAL FEATURES IN SHEEP MANAGEMENT. 179 



profit, and not when there is little likelihood of gain. The skill 

 of the farmer comes in in buying at the right time ; he must watch 

 the markets closely, and buy in accordance with the trade and 

 the prospect of an early return of the time when keep will again 

 be plentiful. If he misses his chance by being over -greedy, he 

 may miss much of the profit he otherwise had it in his power 

 to obtain. Late spring feeding of roots and other fodder crops 

 tests the skill and resourcefulness of the farmer in the manage- 

 ment of his land and cropping, as he throws an increased amount 

 of work on his horses late in the season, and it will probably 

 necessitate an extensive alteration in the crops he must sow. 

 This is easier now than it was a few years ago, as few restrictions 

 are made as to the order of cropping ; whereas, when narrow 

 leases restricted farmers to a strict rotation, it was almost im- 

 practicable. It will therefore be seen that only those possessing 

 special skill are justified in going outside the ordinary practices 

 of the district. 



Other illustrations might be given as to the stocking of the 

 land in accordance with the prospect of ample or deficient keep 

 at a particular future date, and of the consequent variation in 

 prices, which allow the shrewd farmer an opportunity of obtaining 

 an exceptional profit. They are by no means rare ; but the one 

 given should be sufficient to illustrate the manner in which a 

 shrewd man may obtain remuneration for the exercise of his greater 

 skill ; and also to indicate to those less experienced that the 

 subject of sheep management can only prove entirely remunerative 

 when everything bearing upon it is thoroughly mastered. 



The management of the food when grown so as to make the 

 best of it, and so that the land may not be injured whilst it is 

 being consumed, and the management of the sheep themselves, 

 are dependent on the skill of the farmer, backed up by the skill 

 of the shepherd. 



The Shepherd. The shepherd must possess an instinctive love 

 and attachment to animals, and must be prepared to sacrifice his 

 personal comfort and ease for the welfare of his flock, because in the 

 experience of every shepherd there come times when extraordinary 

 efforts have to be made, entailing strain on his endurance and a 

 demand on his resources which fall to the lot of men in few positions. 

 His is a position of great responsibility, and neglect on certain 

 occasions would entail great losses to his employer. He must 

 be quick to detect the slightest change in his sheep ; whether 

 they are improving or going back, or whether there is any change 

 in their demeanour, because, as sheep do not show their suffering 

 until the cause has assumed a dangerous or exceedingly uncom- 

 fortable aspect, successful treatment depends much on its early 

 recognition. There is nothing so important in the whole of 



