112 The Grazing of a Paddock. 



less he wants several paddocks, large as they may be, 

 wherein to place his large flocks. But the small sheep 

 farmer can rule, according to the shape of his farm, 

 quality of land, shelter, water supply, etc., whether he 

 should have an average paddock of 100, 50, or 25 acres. 

 Some intensive sheep farmers go to the extent of pad- 

 docks under 10 acres for sheep alone, placing several 

 hundred in one for a week or two at a stretch. Where 

 the land is good the fence is a cheap means of increasing 

 returns, but if the flock is a permanent breeding one, it 

 must not be forgotten that scope for exercise is required. 

 There is no sheep condition-maker and digestive-trouble- 

 resister like fresh, clean, sweet grass, for it has been 

 their accustomed and staple diet for countless ages, and 

 resting a paddock will give it an opportunity to cleanse 

 with rain and weather. Again may be noted the 

 dominating influence of nature towards man, animal, 

 insect, plant, even the busy bee, in demanding rest. 

 But man is the most unfortunately ill-rested of the lot, 

 and he tries hard to make the rest of nature, including 

 his grass paddocks, as foolishly restless as himself. 



When the pasture land is inferior there may often 

 be a doubt as to how much it may be subdivided into 

 smaller paddocks, but unless it carries but a fractional 

 part of a sheep to the acre all the year round it should 

 stand subdivision, and the payableness of subdivision 

 should be easily figured out, for carrying power may 

 often be increased 50 per cent, and more by sub-fencing. 

 With several paddocks on a place, each one could be 

 allowed to go to seed in turn if thought desirable, and 

 at any rate the sheep's propensity for chasing after and 

 living on the better plants at the good time of the year, 

 and feeding on the inferior ones at the bad time, when 

 they are most innutritious, is curbed. 



