SHEEP HUSBANDRSr IN THE SOUTH. 



203 



these notches, and nailed fast, constitutes the foundation. If the rack u to be 14 (eet l'iii<j, 

 three sills will be required. The. ends of the rack are made by nailing agaiiHi the side of 

 the sill-boards that reach up as high as it is desired to have the rack, and nail* driven 

 through these end-boards hito the ends of the side-boards/,/, secure them. The sides 

 may he farther strengthened by pieces of board on the outside of them, and lined into the 

 trough. A roof may be put over all if desired. With ii roof, the fodder is kept entirely 

 frora the weather, and no seeds or chaff can get into the wool." 



Troughs. — Threshed grain, chopped roots, &c., when fed to sheep 

 should be laid in troughs. With any of the preceding forms of racks, ex 

 iepting fig. 34, a separate trough would be required. For a number of 

 y^ears I have used those of the following form, and have found them every 

 way satisfactory. 



Fig 35. 



SHEEP-TRODGH. 



One of the side-boards is u> ually about ten and the other eleven inches 

 wide. The feet are commonly of two-inch plank, rising high enough on 

 the sides to keep the sides of the trough firm in their places. 



In our snowy climate they are turned over after feeding, and when falls 

 uf snow are anticipated, one end is laid on the yard fence.* 



The following elaborately ingenious contrivance for keeping grain where 

 sheep can feed on it at tcill, is from the " Book of the Farm," and I ap- 

 pend the author's description of it.t 



Fig. 36, 



Fig. 31 



VERTICAL SECTION OF INTERIOR 

 OF GRAIN BOX. 



GRAIN BOX FOR SHEEP. 



" There is a mode of preserving com (grain) for sheep on turnips which has been tried 

 with success in Fife. It consists of a box like a hay-rack, in which the grain is at all 

 times kept closely shut up, except when sheep wish to eat it, and then ihey get it by 

 a simple contrivance. The box a b contains the grain, into which it is poured through the 

 small hinged lid y. The cover c d concealing the grain, is also hinged, and when elevated the 

 sheep have access to the grain. Its elevation is effected by the pressure of the sheep's foro 

 feet u[)on the platform e /, which, moving as a lever, acts upon the lower ends of llie up- 

 right rods » and h, raises them up, and elevates the cover c d, under which their heads 

 then find admittance into the box. A •iniilar apparatus gives them access to the other side 

 of the box. The whole machine can oe moved about to convenient places by means of 



♦ To you. Sir, living on the ocean shore of South Carolina, and who, I think, have not visited the North, 

 in the depth of winter, the idea of a farmer's finding the racks used by him the day before, buried under 

 •i-Dm eisliti'en inches to throe feet of enow, and having to dig them out, may be rather an od d one I But, 

 iievertholot's, it is a matter of no very rare occurrence, at least at the lowest depth mentioned 



* See Firmtrs' Library, voL ii.. No. 10, p. 476. 



