1858.] SENATE— No. 4. 121 



who have not "died out" in their occupation, are, at this day, 

 undouhtedly among our most thriving stock-raisers. Again, we have 

 known farmers to assign as a reason for not keeping sheep, the diffi- 

 culty and vexation experienced in keeping them within bounds. Sheep 

 will thrive upon our stony and poorest pastures, where the bite is 

 short but sweet, and where our neat stock which cannot nibble, would 

 barely " live, move, and have being." The natural fencing material 

 of such pastures lies at hand upon the ground — stones. True, sheep 

 are great climbers, and will scale a common stone wall at will, with 

 the ease and coolness with which a Yankee soldier will mount an 

 enemy's parapet ; but the simple addition to such fence of a rider of 

 poles, supported by stakes, will turn the sheep and keep them in 

 statu quo. No stock which a farmer keeps better tells the story of its 

 owner's care, than the bleating flock. No stock makes a finer show 

 than a lot of comely and well-conditioned sheep. And, on the con- 

 trary, there is no meaner looking animal, perhaps, than a poor, " run 

 down," decrepid sheep. A Calvin Edson, or death on the pale horse, 

 would suffer in comparison for miserableness. 



Many shepherds are wont to trust too much to the natural hardi- 

 hood and warm coat of the sheep, as sufficient protection in our 

 severe months. This reliance is not misplaced when sheep are rang- 

 ing in dry, cold weather ; but need any shepherd be told that his 

 flock should be provided with dry and comfortable shelter, at this 

 season, during their hours of rest, and from all cold, driving storms. 

 And yet we have known large flocks in fine order at the commence- 

 ment of our late autumnal storms, to fall off" rapidly in condition, and 

 feed abundantly the winter crows, and manure their improvident 

 master's fields with their carcasses, by diseases engendered by inat- 

 tention to proper shelter. Dear manure, that ! 



Great credit is due to Messrs. Thomas J. Field, of Northfield, 

 Thomas Motley, Jr., of West Roxbury, and to Messrs. Kelly, Morse, 

 and others, for the numbers of their respective flocks exhibited. 

 They are all enterprising and careful shepherds, and we respectfully 

 invite them to give to the public their personal experience and obser- 

 vation in wool-growing, respectively. 



Mr. Motley's sheep were mostly " Oxfordshire Downs," an English 

 cross, originally, but of so long standing as to be considered now, w^e 

 believe, a distinct breed. 



Your chairman congratulates himself and the Board, on the valu- 

 able counsel and services rendered by his peers in judgment, particularly 

 the gentlemen from Norfolk and Essex counties, than whom no better 

 16* 



