1 1 4« Essay on Sheep. 



'^ when fed upon hay; but this water is not in 

 " sufficient quantity, and possesses not the same 

 *' quality as the liquid of the grass evaporated 

 ^^ in drying. 



'^ There can be no doubt that this difference 

 ^' in regimen is productive of bad effects. I 

 ^^ shall mention some proofs of it, which are 

 '^ indeed too evident and too frequent. 



" In countries where the snow remains upon 

 '^ the ground for one or two months, the cattle 

 " are reduced to dry fodder so long as it lasts; 

 ^' then the weaker sheep, and chiefly the lambs, 

 " the sheep of the second year, the pregnant 

 '' ewes, and those in milk, languish and drop 

 " off. Shepherds denote this miserable state by 

 *^ saying, they melt their fat: they certainly 

 "' grow very lean, and fall off in great num- 

 '^ bers. 



'^ I have often reflected upon the cause of 

 " this evil, and the means of preventing it, 

 " After having prosecuted every inquiry I could 

 " think of, it appeared to me to arise solely 

 " from a change of diet too suddenly effected. 

 " In one day the sheep are reduced from eight 

 ^'pounds of grass to about two pounds of dry 

 ** fodder and three pounds of water. They 

 " are thus deprived, therefore, all at once, of 

 ^' three-eighths of their wonted nourishment. 



