154 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



time to submit to this meeting about two hundred letters of 

 inquiry respecthig sheep which I received in a single week 

 recently, some of them from men who have been working 

 in the cities, and who would like to get back on to the 

 farms. 



Toward this problem of the restoration of sheep husbandry 

 in New England we must turn our attention, as to a perfectly 

 practicable enterprise. In this paper I have not discussed 

 some of the details and methods of successful sheep hus- 

 bandry in New England as much as I should have liked to, 

 but those features can be included incidentally with any 

 comments or questions which may be introduced. My plea 

 is for a united effort, upon the part of agricultural societies 

 and all other organizations concerned, for the character as 

 well as for the material prosperity of New England to enlist 

 themselves in a movement for the restoration of sheep hus- 

 bandry in our rural communities. 



The Chairman. This subject is now open for general 

 discussion. 



Mr. Pratt (of North Middleborough). I would like to 

 ask to what extent a flock of sheep will assist in keeping 

 down bushes, provided the bushes are all cut to commence 

 with. To what extent would the sheep give assistance in 

 keeping a pasture clear of bushes ? 



Mr. Bennett. I would say in a general way they will 

 do a great deal. Sheep have a taste and a selection of their 

 own, and they are very fond of tender shrubs. I believe 

 about all New England fields, with the exception of a few 

 swampy places, have a tendency to grow up to trees ; there 

 is scarcely any land that will not grow up to trees, if let 

 alone. The sheep like to eat the tender shoots of most 

 vegetation. They will not eat clover, if it grows in the 

 shade and is sour ; they will not eat fine grass in certain 

 places, and I have never seen sheep eating brakes. I have 

 inquired of others in regard to it. I think Mr. Bowditch 

 said he once, made them eat brakes by feeding them close and 

 feeding them grain. It may be that when the brake is just 

 appearing they would eat it. Sheep will clean up a pasture, 

 and if you stock a pasture early in the season, so that they 



