1052 THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. BOOK xn. 



and those with broken mouths, bad udders, or which slipped their 

 lambs before time, should have been culled out, and either fattened off 

 or sold as culls. 



AUGUST. 



Early Tankard turnips are now in season, and with the other crops 

 mentioned last month should carry the sheep conveniently, but it often 

 happens that this is a trying mouth for the flock-master if July has 

 been droughty. Be careful not to allow lambs to feed off stale food. 

 In an average season a portion of the corn-stubbles will be cleared, and 

 a useful run may be obtained on them : if there is very much corn left 

 behind, the sheep should only be allowed on for a short time. When 

 the stubbles are clean the sheep may be on them the greater part of 

 the day, and go back on to grass, leys, cabbage, or turnips, as is con- 

 venient. The flies are often busy during this month, and a sharp 

 look-out must be kept for maggots; at this season a small beetle 

 strikes the sheep, and the maggot from this is, if anything, worse than 

 that from the fly. 



SEPTEMBER. 



Sheep will now in many cases be drafted on to the roots, as the leys 

 will have to be broken up for wheat. Be careful that the change to 

 roots is not too sudden, or the sheep will receive a check, and probably 

 some will die. Those which have been receiving early turnips, or 

 rape, or cabbage, as part of their food, will not suffer, but those which 

 are put upon a root diet suddenly, after receiving nothing but grass, 

 most likely will. Unripe swedes are very dangerous, and cause 

 great loss annually. Mangel, of course, will not be fed during autumn. 

 Do not be too late in commencing to give dry food to the ewes, and do 

 not let them have stale, though fresh-looking, succulent rape. More 

 ewes are lost, or slip their lambs, because dry food is withheld too 

 long than is generally supposed. See that the hurdles, turnip-slicers, 

 and other implements required in the sheep-pens are put into good 

 order before winter. Give fattening sheep nearly ready for market an 

 increased supply of oil-cake, and a daily feed of the mixture named in 

 the month of April. Select well-bred lambs for serving the ewes. 

 House-fed sheep, in the fine genial weather of this month, may be 

 turned out with advantage to fields where the grass is good. If poor, 

 supplement with green food. If the weather is hot and the fly 

 troublesome, attend carefully to the dipping of sheep in the fields. 

 Where white, or stubble, or other varieties of early turnips, are 

 supplied to the sheep, bring on the change gradually ; the turnips are to 

 be given either sliced or whole. Some prefer the latter, and nibbling 

 at the roots, at least at first, accustoms the sheep to the harder kinds 

 which follow at a later period. 



