128 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Mr. Perkins inquired as to the value of the manure from 

 sheep. 



Mr. Stedman. — I have not had experience enough to judge. 

 I can see no reason why the same quantity of food given to sheep 

 will not produce an equal value of manure, unless they extract 

 more nutriment from it ; and if that is so, I should get more 

 wool or mutton. Another thing I save, — the toll for grinding 

 my corn. If I carry my corn to the mill to be ground for my 

 cattle, it costs nearly one-tenth. My opinion is that in the 

 hilly pastures there is no stock that can be better kept than 

 sheep. If I can keep them in a place where I am obliged to 

 keep them shut up, they can be better kept here. I shall keep 

 my sheep that I have now, in the same way that I did last year. 



But in this day, considering the high price of meats, we are 

 not to leave out of our calculation the carcase. The mutton is 

 worth, with us, from twelve to fifteen cents per pound. I have 

 got fifteen cents in State Street, in Springfield, for a few. 



A Member. — How much grain do you give your wethers ? 



Mr. Stedman. — I begin with a pint a day. I use corn 

 unground. 



Mr. Smith, of Sunderland, being requested to give his experi- 

 ence said : — I do not know that I can give any instruction on 

 this subject to members of this Board. All haye seen more 

 years and had more experience than I. From my youth up I 

 have been accustomed to stall feeding both cattle and sheep. 

 For several years past we have been in the habit of purchasing 

 sheep in the fall and fattening them through the winter, and 

 sending to market whenever we thought it paid best. I 

 need not say anything, I think, with regard to the way. Sheep 

 take their food as cattle do. They are very good digesters ; 

 they make the best of manure, and a great deal of it. If the 

 fold is well supplied with soil and well littered, all the manure 

 may be saved. 



I have kept a few ewes for breeding ; the best and largest 

 ewes I could find ; young sheep, from two to four years old. I 

 prefer the Southdowns. The buck is put in the first of August. 

 The earlier we can get the lambs the better. I like to have 

 mine come in in January or the last of December. The sale of 

 the lambs is the main object in keeping these ewes. The wool 

 is a secondary matter. The wool of the Southdowns is a good 



