4q6 History of the Author's 



own land I have found tlia', by feeding to the beginning of May, a quick shoot of 

 grass has immediately followed, which, if the weather permitted, has admitted of 

 my cutting it in 5 or 6 weeks, so as to be of the quality above described : and though 

 the weight of the hay has been in consequence less, I have not only been benefited 

 by this saving, but have had the farther advantage of what is at least equally neces- 

 sary, a plentiful supply of early aftergrass. Nothing, indeed, can be more destructive 

 to the fertility of the land itself than the common mode of allowing grass to grow 

 till the stalk is hardened, and the seeds are ready to fall. In consequence of the 

 long and total exclusion of air, light, and moisture, the small under herbage totally 

 perishes, the ground becomes full of ant-hills, and the new-mown field has more 

 the appearance of a wheat stubble than of pasture. In this state it continues, if the 

 season is dry, till late in the autumn. On the other hand, when mown early, the 

 bottom is full of green leaves, which, from the retained moisture of the soil, and 

 more especially from the slightest first rains, shoot forth, and, through the whole 

 remainder of summer and autumn, clothe the surface with the most beautiful and 

 profitable verdure. Hay so made will certainly be the most economical for sheep ; 

 but every one must adapt the period of cutting to the soil and situation of his own 

 land. 



There is a sort of dry food, which I have long been in the habit of giving to my 

 ewes and lambs, and found highly beneficial. This is Linseed, served up in the 

 following way: — one part of the whole seed is mixed in a tub with seven parts, 

 by measure, of cold water, and suffered to stand all night. In the morning, the 

 whole is once boiled up together. When cold, it forms a jelly, thicker than the 

 white of an egg, which is given in troughs, either by itself, or mixed to a nearly dry 

 state with hay cut into chaff. In either way the sheep soon eat of it readily, and 

 the lambs themselves at a certain age. They all eventually become so fond of it, 

 that they run in droves after die shepherd as soon as he appears with his buckets 

 in the field, and lick quite clean the troughs in which it is put. 



I have also given a small quantity of ground oil-cake to my whole flock. I first 

 tried it boiled in water, as recommended by Fink ; but they did not relisli it so 

 well as when it was given dry, and mixed with hay-chaff. In this method it was 

 eaten for about a week by 31 ram-hogs, in ihc daily quantity of half a peck j from 

 which, in two or three days, they began to scour, but soon recovered on being put 

 on good rouen. It seemed to have made them very thirsty; in consequence of 



