ON SHEEP. 61 



JOSEPH MARSHALL'S STATEMENT. 



To the Committee on Sheep : 



Gentle^ien. — The flock of sheep which I present 

 for your consideration, contains twenty ewes, and one 

 buck. I have paid particular attention to the improve- 

 ment on both the quantity and quality of the wool of my 

 sheep, but more particularly to raising early lambs for 

 the market. I keep ray sheep always in good plight, 

 and have found that they will not be otherwise profita- 

 ble. My method of feeding is to keep them in winter 

 on clover, and particularly on second crop hay, also 

 bean and pea vines, top stalks, &c. Fine high marsh 

 hay, is the best kind of salt hay for them ; but am more 

 scrupulously attentive to the preservation of their 

 health, by keeping them in dry places the whole year 

 round. In the winter they are kept under an open 

 shed nights, and never allowed to be out in wet storms, 

 day or night, nor do I ever allow their skins to be wet, 

 winter or summer, not even washing them before shear- 

 ing, but w^ash the fleece after shearing, which I find lit- 

 tle or no additional trouble. This treatment I have 

 followed for several years, and my sheep have always 

 been in fine health, no running noses among them, and 

 have never found a tick or louse on them, since 1 com- 

 menced this mode of treatment. The most severe cold 

 weather will be no damage to them, if they are kept 

 dry, and indeed, their being kept so, I conceive to be 

 indispensable to the preservation of health ; it will 

 surely preserve them from the foot-rot. All this is little 

 or no trouble, for sheep will seek shelter under an open 

 shed in w^et vveather, if left to govern themselves. 



About the time of their yeaning, I give a gill of corn 

 to each, every morning, and feed them freely on turnips 

 and carrots. They commenced yeaning last winter, on 

 the 20th of February. The last lamb came about the 

 last of March ; some were dropped on the severest cold 

 nights, and were perfectly bright and lively, and not a 

 lamb was lost. 



If sheep are kept well, yearlings may be allowed to 

 bring lambs ; otherwise, by no means, until they are 



