4io Dr. Parry's Essay on the Nature, Produce, Origin, 



meal are divided among lOO sheep. When they have no good fodder, or the 

 snow continues veiy long, they give the sheep corn in the straw, or even by itself; 

 but as the latter food is expensive, they usually substitute beet-root, turnips, carrots, 

 and more especially potatoes. They collect with great care the horse-chesnut, 

 which they begin to give in the autumn, as soon as the grass fails, allowing each 

 sheep about i-^-lb. of the nut and its thorny husk, which they cut in pieces together. 

 Sheep, as well as cows, refuse this sort of nourishment at first, but come, at length, 

 *o eat it very greedily. When the weather will permit, and the snow is not loo 

 deep, they send the sheep into the woods, and on the dry heaths; but those who 

 have no winter pastures keep their sheep in the house from the beginning of De- 

 cember till the beginning of April, taking care to give them as much air as possible 

 ■within, and to send them out, for the same purpose, three or four hours every day. 

 Some persons, through defect of pasture, also keep them in the houses the whole 

 summer; and, if they allow them plenty of air and good nourishment, do not find 

 this mode of treatment prejudicial either to their health, or the fineness of their 

 wool. 



It seems as if, even in summer, the whole flock was housed at night; and they 

 are not sent out into the pastures till after the dew is dissipated. They are kept 

 within in thick fogs, in hard rains, and after hail storms. Water is given them 

 every day. 



Salt is generally distributed to these sheep by the Saxons, who think that it 

 contributes alike to their health, and the fineness of their fleeces. They either 

 mingle it with their forage, or dissolve it in their drink. Sometimes it is mixed 

 with hay seed, millcfoil, biuer plants, and a small quantity of wood ashes. It is 

 given chiefly in the summer, and dry weather ; but is discontinued to the ewes four 

 ox five weeks before lambing lime, from a belief that the thirst which it occasions 

 causes them to drink so much water as to obstruct their yeaning, and that their 

 relish for it makes them neglect to lick their new-born lambs. 



The lambs, fall before March, and are weaned in June. With some few 

 exceptions, they are not allowed to accompany their clams to the pastures before 

 that time. Some persons even keep them in the house till autumn; and others 

 during the whole of the first year. But then they give them there plenty of hay, 

 laitcrmath, peas haulm, bruised oats, or peas, &c. They are thus imprisoned 

 with a view, it is said, of securing them from giddiness. If any ewe has twins, one 



