36 The Shepherds'' Guide. 



will confine sheep, but over a stone-wall they w'lU 

 find a way to get, even when staked and ridered. 

 I have thought of laying across the wall, and 

 within a foot of the tpp, pieces of small timber, 

 the ends of which having been sawed off square, 

 should project about a foot on each side of the 

 wall ; upon these to fix small poles, or to nail to 

 the ends split hoops. This would be easily made, 

 would consume but little timber, and would effec- 

 tually prevent sheep getting over the wall. 



All pastures should be furnished with shade 

 and water, and for sheep, perhaps shade is tnore 

 necessary than water. Great heat is found more 

 prejudicial to sheep than the severest cold ; and 

 soon after shearing is particularly injurious. 

 Sheep are always found lying in the shade in the 

 middle of a summer's day ; and so necessary is 

 shade thought for sheep in the middle of the day 

 in summer, by the best agriculturalists on the con- 

 tinent of Europe, that when the pastures do not 

 afford sufficient shade, the shepherds are directed 

 to take the sheep into the sheep-houses for some 

 hours at noon, during the continuance of hot and 

 sultry weather. It is too common an opinion that 

 sheep do not require water ; but although it is true 

 that when on good succulent food, and when they 

 are kept night and day in the fields, they can do 

 without water better than any other kind of stock, 

 yet when they can get at it, they always go regu- 

 larly to it once or twice a-day, and when debar- 



