4 MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF SHEEP 



the pastures, and for the further reason that the waste 

 from the droppings is much less, as is shown below. 



Notwithstanding the fertility removed by sheep from 

 the soil in the ways just mentioned, the amount of avail- 

 able fertility in lands where sheep are grazed is increased 

 How, it may be asked, is this possible when all the food 

 which they consume comes from the soil, and a part of it 

 is taken away in the flesh, bone and wool sold? There is 

 also some loss of fertility from the droppings through 

 washing. The loss in the droppings from the latter 

 source is usually slight, especially when the sheep are on 

 the pastures. The loss of fertility from other sources 

 named is evidently more than made up through fertility 

 brought up from the subsoil and made available near the 

 surface. The roots of all plants feed more deeply than is 

 usually supposed, including those of many of the grasses. 

 This will be at once apparent to those who observe the 

 length of the roots and rootlets suspended from grass 

 crowns underneath which the earth has been washed 

 away on the side of a cliff or ravine. They went far 

 down into the subsoil before they were thus laid bare. 

 In doing so they gathered food in the subsoil to support 

 growth above the surface. The elements of plant growth 

 in the subsoil are thus being gradually transformed from 

 inert to available forms in the subsoil, and when thus 

 transformed are sent upward to maintain leaf and stem 

 growth. These, in time, when consumed by sheep are 

 left upon the surface soil for its enrichment. The fertility 

 thus carried from the subsoil to the surface must be more 

 than the amount removed in the carcass and the wool of 

 the sheep grazed on the pastures, otherwise the fertility 

 of the lands thus grazed would not be increased. 



That lands grazed by sheep do increase in available 

 fertility cannot be gainsaid. The fact has been so fre- 

 quently observed that it cannot be questioned. Sheep 

 have grazed upon the Cheviot Hills for generations, and 

 on grasses unstimulated by the addition of fertilizers from 



