No. 16. 



On Stall Feeding Sheep — Application of Marl. 



291 



Queition 3. — What should be the age of 

 sheep to fatten best, and how is a fanner to 

 know their age, and what length of time does 

 it ordinarily take to make mutton sufficiently 

 good for the shambles ? 



Ans. — F"rom three to five years old. Their 

 age is known by their teeth. At one year 

 old they have two broad teeth in front; at 

 two years old four, and at three years old six, 

 or a full mouth ; after this age their teeth begin 

 to shorten. 



They require three months to fatten, provi- 

 ded they are in fair order when purchased. — 

 Six weeks on grass, and six weeks on grain 

 and hay. 



Question 4. — What do you consider the 

 best food for stall feeding- sheep, and how 

 much food should be given to each sheep dai- 

 ly during the fattening process. 



Answer. — Corn, oats and potatoes, with 

 hay. It is necessary to be cautious at the 

 commencement; the food should be three- 

 fifths corn, to begin with half pint to each 

 sheep, daily for five days, increasing gradual- 

 ly to one pint for five days more, and li 

 pints for five days after, wlien one quart can 

 be given with safety. It is best to give a few 

 potatoes daily, say two bushels to pvery 

 hundred head. 



Question 5. — Is salt essential to sheep at 

 this time ! 



Aasioer. — They ought to have it to go to 

 at pleasure. 



Question 6. — How many sheep, with ad- 

 vantage to the farmer, and their health, can 

 be fed on a farm of fi'om lOU to 300 acres, 

 and how many can one hand feed and fodder? 

 Answer. — One hundred is considered a 

 sufficient number for a farm of 200 acres, to 

 be fed in three separate fiocks. In England 

 one sheep to every head of cattle is the rule. 

 The labor is very trifling, one hand can attend 

 100 in L^- hours — ^ hour morning, noon and 

 night — ^Be punctual to the time of feeding, 

 it is of importance. 



Question 7. — Siiould fattening sheep be 

 kept housed or suffered to ran at large, and 

 whether it is necessary to have any particu- 

 lar form for shelters, racks, or enclosures, for 

 fettening sheep! 



Answer. — Every farmer should have at 

 least one sheep-house, to be two stories high- 

 the upper story for hay in part, and to pre- 

 pare their food in the lower story, open to 

 the soutli, with a yard attached to it twice as 

 large as the house, or to contain twice as 

 much ground as the house stands on. The 

 rack and trough to run around the inside on 

 the lower floor, four feet from the outside 

 wall, to allow a passage ; a small trough to 

 be placed at the bottom of the rack, six in- 

 ches broad and four inches deep, two feet 

 feom the floor> Ti^e racks must be perpen- 



dicular, to prevent the hay seeds getting into 

 the wool, and slope t!ie back of the rack; two 

 feet will be sufficient for the height of the 

 rack from tlie trough. The hay is ffiven 

 them from the passage over the back of the 

 rack, but the food must be taken inside and 

 carefully placed in the trough, even all along 

 to prevent any one from getting more than 

 his share. It is necessary they have water 

 twice every day. If they go" out to water 

 never allow them to be out more than two 

 hours at a time. The pen should be kept 

 well littered. 



Question 8. — What are the diseases to 

 which fattenmg sheep are most liable, and 

 what are the proper remedies ? 



Answer^ — The disease most common is rot 

 or lax — the best remedy known for it is half 

 pint of equal proportions of soot and salt. 

 When sheep are feeding high they are sub- 

 ject to a disease supposed to be a species of 

 cholic, the best remedy is to bleed at the 

 eye vein, and give an injection composed of 

 lard, molasses, and warm water; an injection 

 is very good when they are too costive, but 

 this never occurs when tiiey have their pro- 

 portion of potatoes, turueps or sugar beets. 



When sheep get torn with dogs, or by any 

 accident rend the skin, the wound should be 

 well washed with warm milk and water. — 

 Stitch up the place and bathe it with tincture 

 of Cayenne pepper or spirits of turpentine. 



Sheep are at times subject to foot rot or 

 foul-claw; this can be mostly cured by placing 

 in their path quick lime three inches dee];, so 

 that the lime will go well up between their 

 hoofs. If this should fell, clean well their 

 feet with a dry cloth, pare oft'the superfluous 

 hool7 and apply butter of antimony ; if it is 

 still unmanageable they had best at once be 

 sold, and then if care is not taken to clean 

 well their pen, &c., the next flock will take 

 it as it is a contagious disease. Scab is a 

 disease more common in Scotland and north 

 latitudes; it is scarcely known is this country. 

 The best remedy for it, is the oil of tar,, 

 placed in the wool on the back; a small quanti?. 

 ty is sufficient. 



Thos. Baynes,. 



Por the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Applieataoia of Marl» 



On reading the last number of the Cabinet 

 I perceive that your readers in the lower' 

 part of Delaware and the Eastern shore of 

 Maryland, where the green sand or marl 

 abounds, are desirous of being informed of' 

 the best mode of applying it as indicated by 

 the experience of our New Jersey farmers. 

 It may perhaps save those who are inclined 

 to try it, some trouble and expense to be in- 

 formed that every known method of applica- 



