342 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



mine what is the proper lime for his lambs to come. For 

 early market, or when there are few sheep, and those well 

 looked after, they may come while the ewes are in the yards, 

 and provision can bo made for the progeny, by placing such 

 as are heavy, in warm stalls. Both the dam and young thus 

 receive a closer attention than they would in the field ; and 

 after a weeks housing in severe weather, the lamb may be 

 turned out into the dry yard, where he will suffer no more, 

 apparently, than the full grown sheep. But with large flocks, 

 early lambing is attended with much trouble, and it is gene- 

 rally avoided, by deferring it till the weather has become 

 more settled, and a full bite of grass will ailbrd the clam a 

 plentiful supply of milk. Yet in this case, the young sheep 

 must daily be under the eye of the shepherd, who should see 

 that they are well supplied with food, and especially that they 

 are brought under cover in severe or stormy weather. 



A ram will serve from 10 to 100 ewes in a season, accord- 

 ing to his age, health, feed, and management. A South 

 Down or Long Wooled lamb of 7 or 8 months, is sometimes 

 used, and when this is done, he should be well fed, and al- 

 lowed to run only with a very few ewes. If full grown rarns 

 are turned into a lean pasture to remain with the ewes, not 

 less than four should be put in for every hundred. But if a 

 well-fed ram, in full health and vigor, is kept up, and led out 

 to the ewe as she comes into heat, and allowed to serve her 

 once only, he will suffice for one hundred, without injury to 

 himself or progeny. For this purpose, the ram should be 

 prepared, not by being fat, for this, neither he nor the ewe 

 should ever be ; but by being fed with grain for a short time 

 before arid during the continuance of the season. The ewes 

 are more likely to come quickly into heat, and prove prolific, 

 if lightly fed with stimulating food at the time. It is reason- 

 ably enough conjectured, that if procreation, and the first 

 period of gestation takes place in cold weather, the foetus will 

 subsequently be fitted for the climate which rules during the 

 early stages of its existence. If this be so, and it is certainly 

 in accordance with the laws of nature, fine wooled sheep are 

 most likely to maintain their excellence, by deferring the 

 connexion of the male, till the commencement of cold weather ; 

 and in the northern states, this is done about the first of De- 

 cember, which brings the yeaning time in the last of April 

 or first of May, when the early grass will afford a good qual- 

 ity of feed. 



