348 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



from the udder of the ewes, and from the dock, and below it, 

 the inside of the thighs and from the legs of the sheep, should 

 be removed. 



SUMMER MANAGEMENT. As soon as the warm weather 

 approaches and the grass appears, sheep become restive and 

 impatient for the pasture. This instinct should be repressed 

 till the ground has become thoroughly dry, and the grass has 

 acquired substance. They ought moreover, to be provided 

 for the change of food, by the daily use of roots for a few 

 days before turning out. It would also check the tendency 

 to excessive purging, which is induced by the first spring 

 feed, if they were housed at night, and fed for the first few 

 days, with a little sound, sweet hay. They must be provided 

 with pure water, salt, &c. as in winter, for though they may 

 sometimes do tolerably well without either, yet thrift and 

 freedom from disease are cheaply secured by this slight 

 attention. Dry, sweet pastures, and such as abound in aro- 

 matic and bitter plants, are best suited for sheep-walks. No 

 animal with the exception of the goat, crops so great a vari- 

 ety of plants. They eat many which are rejected by tho 

 horse and the ox, and which are even essential to their own 

 wants. In this respect, they are valuable assistants to the 

 husbandman, as they feed greedily on wild mustard, burdocks, 

 thistles, marsh-mallows, milk- weed and various other offend- 

 ing plants; and the Merino exceeds the more recent breeds 

 in the variety of his selections. Many prepare artificial 

 pastures for their flocks. This may be done with a number 

 of plants. Winter rye or wheat sown early in the season, 

 may be fed off in the fall without injury to the crop ; and in 

 the following spring the rye may be pastured till the stalks 

 shoot up and begin to form a head. This affords an early 

 and nutritious food. Corn may be sown broadcast or thickly 

 in drills, and either fed off in the fields, or cut and carried to 

 the sheep in their folds. An experiment made with white 

 mustard for feeding sheep, is detailed on page 216, which 

 shows it to be a valuable crop for this purpose. To give 

 sheep sufficient variety, it would be better to divide their 

 range into smaller ones, and change them as often at least, 

 as once a week. They seek a favorite resting place, on a 

 dry, elevated part of the field, which soon becomes soiled By 

 removing them from this for a few days, rains will cleanse, 

 or the sun dry it, so as again to make it suitable for them. 

 More sheep may be kept, and in better condition where this 



