4 1 2 APPENDIX. 



The pasturage which seems to do best for sheep is in old fields 

 which have been long in grass. They prefer dry, rolhng land. 

 Old pastures, however, should be close fed early in the season, so 

 that the grass will come up alike over the whole tield ; otherwise, 

 it ^^^ll be sj)otted. We usually calculate that thirty acres should 

 carr)' 100 sheep through summer and winter, pasture, hay, and 

 grain. The longer a tield has been used for a sheep-pasture the 

 more it will support. Fanns which will carry through four to 

 the acre, summer and winter, with tolerable buildings, can be 

 bought for from nine to fifteen dollars the acre. Lands with us 

 are valued according to their productiveness of wheat. Good 

 wheat famis are worth from twenty-five to fifty dollars per acre. 

 The most profitable fanning with us is sheep and wheat, as the 

 sheep do much the best with us when they have the free range of 

 a summer fallow. 



Clover hay, if Avell cured, makes excellent fodder for them. We, 

 when stocking for hay, put one-third timothy with the clover seed, 

 and mow when the clover is in blossom, and cure in cocks. 

 There can be no better hay for sheep than is made in this manner. 

 Hence there is no stock that goes so well with wheat raising as 

 sheep. Many persons have lost sheep by tuniing them too soon 

 into wheat stubble. They should not be allowed to go in until the 

 hogs have had time to glean the field thoroughly. 



We usually allow fifteen per cent, for loss of lambs, depending, 

 however, very much upon the season. Our loss rarely comes up 

 to ten per cent. Stall feeding has not been much practised by us, 

 the fall market generally paying the best. 



The only disease among us is the foot-rot, and that has been 

 confined to the two flocks in which it appeared ; and hopes are 

 entertained by our flock-masters that it will be eradicated. 

 The disease was brought into the country by sheep from the 

 southeast. We have seen nothing of it yet among our own, and 

 have maintained a rigorous quarantine against our neighbors. If 

 vigilantly watched, I hope we shall be able to prevent its 

 spreading. 



LETTER FROM DANIEL B. HAIGHT, OF WASHINGTON, DUTCHESS 

 COUNTY, NEW YORK. 



Dear Sir, — I received a letter from you, in which you wished 

 me to inform you of my mode of keeping sheep, which 1 will do 

 with pleasure, although I have not had very much experience in 

 keeping South Downs, having, until recently, kept Saxons only; 

 therefore I am not able to answer all of ^^our interrogatories. 



I have a small but valuable flock of South Downs, which I in- 

 tend to increase as fast as practicable, as I consider them the most 



