SECRETARY'S REPORT. 127 



I found they had a great disposition to go from a poor pasture 

 to a good one, and sometimes they would get into the mowing- 

 lot. It was necessary to have large poles on the walls. I recol- 

 lect that my father had a large pasture in Oakham, of several 

 hundred acres, and that there was a pole on every wall to keep 

 them. I think they could not have been kept without it. At 

 that time it did seem to detract a little from the comfort of 

 keeping them on account of the labor in keeping them within 

 their own limits. 



I wish to express my grateful acknowledgments for the kind 

 notice which the gentleman from Upton was pleased to take of 

 me, and an apology for the humble remarks which I have had 

 the honor to offer. (Applause.) 



Mr. Smith. — The Spanish Merino sheep are much more quiet 

 than the sheep we formerly kept. 



Mr. Stedman being called on, said : I suggested to my 

 friend, Mr. Perkins, that when he and Mr. Smith had got 

 through, I had about six months' experience to relate. I was 

 not in the habit of keeping sheep till last year. About a year 

 ago I purchased six, which I wintered very carefully and satis- 

 factorily. They brought me six lambs about the first of April, 

 within a few days of each other. The last, of June I sold a part 

 of the lambs and one or two of the old sheep. The results in 

 that case were very satisfactory. I kept the sheep up during 

 the whole season. They had a place under my barn where they 

 ran, and were fed with dry fodder till I could procure green, 

 and then fed with grass. The sheep fattened with the lambs, 

 and the lambs, less than three months old, and without any 

 extra keeping, brought me about six and a half dollars each. 

 They were a mixed breed, mostly Merino, with some Cotswold. 

 The lambs weighed sixty-two to sixty-five pounds, live weight. 

 The sheep weighed about one hundred to one hundred and ten. 

 I sold the lambs at ten cents a pound, the sheep at six, — what 

 I sold. 



I was so well satisfied with my experience with that flock 

 that this fall I purchased about thirty ewes that I design to keep 

 in the same manner — let them bring in lambs and be killed oflf 

 next year. I also bought about seventy-five wethers that I am 

 feeding. ' I feed, in part, rowen hay, and in part, the poorest hay 

 I have, and some corn. I feed in racks suitable for hay or corn. 



