137 



How THE OLD FLOCK WAS HANDLED. 

 During the summer months, \vhile the pastures were 

 green, no attention was given the sheep at all except to see 

 that they had plenty of water and a mixture of tobacco 

 dust and salt before them at all times. The object in feed- 

 ing the tobacco was to keep down stomach worms, as 

 the worms are the bane of the sheep farmer, and it is 

 claimed that tobacco dust will hold the pest in check. 

 This was given them in proportion of one pint of dust to 

 about four pints of salt. The sheep soon acquired a taste 

 for the tobacco. It is well known that sheep should be 

 changed from pasture to pasture as often as possible, un- 

 less the range be exceedingly large. The object in chang- 

 ing the pasture is to hold in check the stomach worms. The 

 Station's pastures, or lots, are small, so the sheep were 

 changed from one to the other as often as the grass became 

 short. There was no regularity followed in making the 

 change. 



The period of gestation in the ewe is about five months, 

 so if the lamb is to be dropped in December or the first of 

 January she must be bred in July or early part of August. 

 To be sure that she breeds in these months she should be 

 turned upon a fresh pasture just before the time for breed- 

 ing and then given a little cotton seed meal daily. As far 

 as possible this plan has been followed with this flock. 

 Of course there will always be a few late lambs, but if the 

 ewes are in good breeding condition, neither too fat nor too 

 poor, throughout July and August, the great majority of 

 them will breed to drop lambs from Christmas to January 

 the 15th. 



The Station ram was allowed to run with the ewes at 

 all times. If there had been as many as 50 ewes it would 

 have been wise to have kept him away from the flock during 

 the day time, and turned him in with them at night only. 

 But with the few that we had he could be expected to be a 

 safe breeder when running with the ewes both night and 

 day. Som^ sheep farmers do not permit the ram to run 



