,AMBING TIME. 



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(,98.) Lambing time. When the ewes begin to drop 

 their lambs, a time which ordinarily happens in the 

 first or second week of April, but which, in other modes 

 of management, must be dated twenty-two weeks after 

 the tupping season, the shepherd has many calls upon 

 his skill and watchfulness. In bad seasons, sheep are^ 

 aj)t to prove unkind to their offspring, and none more 

 so than the Cheviots. In this event, the best pastures 

 should be selected for them, or turnips may be carted 

 to them ; but as gimmer hogs are often quite incapable 

 of furnishing the necessary quantity of milk, the shep- 

 herd ought always to be provided with a bottle of milk, 

 which he should drop from his own mouth into that of 

 any lambs which may require it. Such mothers as 

 appear to suffer in bringing forth, should be relieved 

 with the utmost gentleness ; and when a miscarriage 

 ^^occurs, if the weather be at the same time unfavourable, 

 l^^ke dam ought to receive the shelter of a roof. When 

 ^^^roe ewe is lost in yeaning, her lamb, if it survive her, 

 must be reared by another dam. Some little artifice is 

 always necessary to induce a ewe to adopt the offspring 

 of another. Covering the lamb with the skin of her 

 own dead one, is sometimes resorted to, but this is 

 hardly required, as any dam will take to another's 

 offspring if the parties be shut up for some time toge- 

 ther. ♦ Ewes that are late in lambing should be col- 

 lected together, so as to be more under the care of the 

 shepherd, and ought to be well fed, for the sake of 

 bringing forward their lambs. Those lambs which are 

 very far behind the rest must be prepared for the 

 butcher, as they would make but a poor figure at the 

 Lammas sales. 



