FATTENING SHEEP WHILE GRAZING 193 



especially in climates that are warm, the danger is some- 

 times present that the crop may be covered by the green 

 aphis. When so affected its feeding value is greatly re- 

 duced or even destroyed in proportion to the violence of 

 the attacks of those insects. 



The benefit arising from giving sheep grazed on rape 

 access also to a grass pasture is found in the favorable in- 

 fluence that the less succulent grass exercises on the 

 digestion. It tends to prevent and also to correct scours 

 which arise from feeding on rape, especially when first 

 introduced to such grazing. Pastures with much dead 

 grass on them are the most suitable. Kentucky blue grass 

 pastures that have not been closely grazed during the 

 early season of growth have been found to answer the 

 purpose well. The sheep seem instinctively to crave 

 more or less of such grazing at such a time. Experiments 

 conducted by the author showed marked benefit from 

 access to such grazing. 



The autumn season after the summer heat has gone, has 

 been found the most favorable for finishing sheep on such 

 grazing. The more prolonged the period covered by the 

 autumn, therefore, the more prolonged is the period for 

 grazing. Rape sown not too early readily retains its green- 

 ness in cool autumn weather, even after it has ceased to 

 grow. Where the autumns are short and where winter 

 comes suddenly danger is present that more or less of 

 the crop will be lost. In damp climates it may be lost by 

 early snowfall which remains all winter. In dry climates 

 it may be lost by sudden freezing so severe as to wilt the 

 crop. 



Some caution should be used when introducing sheep to 

 a rape pasture, or much loss may result. They are usually 

 much prone to feed on rape so ravenously as to induce bloat- 

 ing. This, when unrelieved, may produce death in a very 

 short time. The danger increases with greater succulence in 

 the rape and with increase in moisture on the plants. Two 

 methods have been adopted of meeting the danger. By the 



