SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 



387 



these notches, and nailed fast, constitutes the liiundation. If the rack is to be 14 feet ion", 

 three sills will be required. The ends of the rack are made by nailing against the side of 

 the sill-boards that reach up as high as it is desired to ha^ e the rack, and nail-s driven 

 through these end-boards into the ends of the side-boards/,/, secure them. The sides 

 may he farther sti-engdiened by pieces of board on the outside of them, and Ktted into the 

 trough. A roof may be put over all if desired. With a roof, the Ibdder is kept entirely 

 from the weather, and no seeds or chaff can get into the wool." 



Troughs. — Threshed grain, chopped roots, &c., when fed to sheep 

 should be laid in troughs. With any of the preceding forms of racks, ex- 

 cepting fig. 34, a separate trough would be required. For a number of 

 years I have used those of the following form, and have found them every 

 way satisfactory. 



Fig. 35. 



SHKEP-TRODGH. 



One of the side-boards is usually about ten and the other eleven inches 

 wide. The feet are commonly of two-inch plank, rising high enouo-h on 

 the sides to keep the sides of the trough firm in their places. 



In our snowy climate they are turned over after feeding, and when falls 

 of snow are anticipated, one end is laid on the yard fence.* 



The following elaborately ingenious contrivance for keeping grain where 

 sheep can feed on it at loill, is from the " Book of the Fai'ra,^' and I ap- 

 pend the author's description of it.t 



Fig. 35. 



Fig. 37. 



VERTICAL SECTION OF INTERIOR 

 OF GRAIN BOX. 



GRAIN BOX FOR SHEEP. 



" There is a mode of preserving com (gi-ain) for sheep on turnips which has been tried 

 with success in Fife. It consists of a box like a hay-rack, in which the grain is at all 

 times kept closely shut up, except when sheep wish to eat it, and then they get it by 

 a simple contrivance. The box a b contains the grain, into which it is poured through the 

 small hinged lid y. The cover c d concealing the grain, is also hinged, and when elevated the 

 sheep have access to the grain. Its elevation is effected by the pressure of the sheep's fore- 

 feet upon the platform e f, which, moving as a lever, acts upon the lower ends of the up-, 

 right rods e and h, raises them up, and elevates the cover c d, under which their heads, 

 then find admittance into the box. A similar apparatus gives them access to the other side- 

 of the box. The whole machine can bo moved about to convenient places by means ot" 



* To you, Sir, living on the ocean shore of .South Carolina, and who, I think, have not visited the Nortli, 

 in the depth of winter, the idea of a farniei'8 finding the racks used hy him the day before, buried under 

 from eisrhteen inches to three feet of snow, and having to dig thcvi out, may be rather an odd one ! But, 

 nevertholoas, it is a matter of no vtry rare occurrence, at least at the lowest depth meDtioned. 



t Sec Farmers' Library, vol. ii.. No. 10, p. 476. 

 (747) 



