^00 MANAGEMENT OF SHEEP. 



There are several incidental duties to notice when chang- 

 ing sheep from one pasture to another, or removing them 

 for any purpose, namely — ^where gates are not provided, to 

 take out three or four of the lower bars. It is quite common 

 to drop only one end of them ; and if an hundred or more 

 sheep are to pass through, they lose their good manners and 

 patience, and rush with such impetuosity that the weaker ones 

 are frequently thrown down and injured, as, also, liable to 

 have their feet caught in the bars, and legs thereby broken. 

 This is of still more consequence, if the Hock consists of 

 ewes and young lambs. 



Again : when flocks of this description are changed, the 

 master should go thoroughly around the field to see that all 

 the lambs are aroused, as, when quite young, they sleep 

 much in the daytime, and therefore are liable to be left. 

 The better course is, not to remove them beyond an adjoin- 

 ing lot if possible, and still better, until after shearing to leave 

 the communications open to change themselves at pleasure 

 As has been before observed, this obviates all confusion and 

 trouble. 



Before proceeding to enumerate the various grasses, and 

 detail their relative proportion of nutritive properties, it will 

 perhaps be well to recall the introductory observations to the 

 present chapter, respecting the appropriate localities of the 

 dificrent breeds of sheep in Great Britain, intended as hints 

 to the American breeder. 



It is always of paramount importance to adaptate the breed 

 to the quantity of feed the particular locality on which they 

 are placed is capable of furnishing. But, in this and other 

 States, this consideration hitherto, in very many instances, 

 has been lost sight of. The American farmer hears of the 

 amazing size, weight of carcase and fleece of some of the 

 English breeds, and makes undue haste to purchase, in some 

 instances without previously knowing whether their wool is 

 suitable for felting or combing purposes, and without duly 

 considering the fact that the relative quantity of food sheep 

 consume is in the ratio of their size. The herbage of his 

 farm is of the upland character, or their situation is too nmch 

 exposed to cold, or, on the principle that a " sheep is a 

 sheep," he stints them to the quantity of feed which is capa- 

 ble of supporting a similar number of the smaller breeds ; 

 and from one or more of these causes, his expectations are 

 disappointed, and he abandons them with execrations. This 



