1864. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



57 



little town, as for the last 80 years, continue to 

 bear the name of the Philosopher and Statesman 

 of our country's earliest years#and may she not 

 prove unworthy to bear that name as a monument 

 to the undying memory of his noble deeds and 

 words. And to close. Mr. Brown, if you wish to 

 see a village as neat and tasteful as any of its size, 

 with inhabitants intelligent, industrious and hos- 

 'pitable, call and see us. Furthermore, what is 

 most important of all, we are thoroughly loyal, 

 and, myself included, real black republicans, and 

 emancipationists. Monthly Reader. 



Remarks. — We thank you, Mr. "Monthly 

 Reader," for your interesting sketch of Franklin, 

 and for the invitation to "call and see us." We 

 have been there, and had the pleasure of talking 

 to your enterprising farmers "in town hall assem- 

 bled," and of looking into several of the straw 

 manufactories to which you refer in your sketch. 

 But we are all the sharper to see you again for 

 having once been there. 



BEARING LAMBS. 



The rearing of lambs, both for the renewal and 

 increase of the flock, and for the use of the butch- 

 er, is a matter which deserves more care and at- 

 tention than is usually bestowed upon it by our 

 farmers. If the bucks or ewes are not in good 

 condition at the time they are brought together, 

 or if the latter, during the period of gestation be- 

 come reduced and weak the chances are that the 

 progeny will fail altogether, or at least lack the 

 vigor necessary to carry them successfully through 

 the first winter. We do not mean by "good con- 

 dition," that the sheep should be fat, for that ex- 

 treme should be equally as much avoided as the 

 other ; but they should be vigorous and healthy, 

 and in first rate store order. A healthy buck 

 should not be required to serve over fifty or sixty 

 ewes, as such a number is a sufficient tax upon 

 his powers ; more than this is liable not only to 

 permanently injure the male, but also to produce 

 a feeble progeny. 



The period of gestation in ewes is twenty-one 

 weeks; so that, where it is desirable the birth of 

 the lambs should occur early in May, the bucks 

 should be turned into the flocks about the first of 

 December. This period may be varied a little 

 either way, according to locality and climate. As 

 young ewes are more apt to be careless and im- 

 provident mothers, neglecting, and sometimes dis- 

 owning their lambs, more attention is required for 

 them than for older sheep. Many of the English 

 shepherds separate the former in the fall, and 

 serve them a week or two later, in order that the 

 season shall become further advanced, and the 

 lambs less exposed to a chill and adverse temper- 

 ature. The ewes with lambs should be kept quiet 

 and not subjected to fright or excitement, well 

 fed, and comfortably sheltered. The success- 

 ful rearing of a fine young flock will amply repay 

 the farmer all his care. 



Where twins are produced by some of the 

 sheep, while at the same time others have lost 

 their lambs, it is a good plan to take one of the 

 twins from the former and give it to the latter. 

 Some difficulty is occasionally experienced to get 



the lamb adoptea, but it is usually overcome by 

 shutting it and the new mother together for a few 

 days ; and in extreme cases, binding the skin of 

 the dead lamb upon the back of its successor. 

 Bucks, by carelessness and inadvertance, occasion- 

 ally get mingled with the flock unseasonably, and 

 occasion much trouble, and sometimes loss. We 

 once knew a flock of ewes that got with lamb in 

 September ; and, as a consequence, they gave birth 

 to their progeny in February. He kept them 

 sheltered and well fed, making roots and other 

 succulent materials a portion of their food, turn- 

 ing all his barns and out-buildings into sheep- 

 hospitals, and devoted much time and attention 

 to the helpless lambs brought forth in the midst » 

 of a rigorous winter. It thus turned out that 

 scarcely a lamb was lost, and at the subsequent 

 washing and shearing, that flock of lambs was the 

 admiration of all who saw them. One of the 

 ewes, after her lamb was born, failed to give it 

 suck, although the udder was distended, and ap- 

 parently full of milk. On an examination, how- 

 ever, and attempt to milk the dam by hand, a 

 thick fluid exuded, nearly the consistence and ap- 

 pearance of candied honey, which the lamb swal- 

 lowed with avidity, although its own strength was 

 insufficient to draw it from the teat. The lamb 

 thrived upon it, however, swallowing as it was 

 pressed out by the hand, until, in the couple of 

 ! lays, the milk assumed its natural flow, and need- 

 ed no further special attention. This instance is 

 cited, not fo.i the purpose of urging the month of 

 February is one propitious to the birth of lambs, 

 but only to show that even an untoward event, if 

 properly managed, may be turned to profitable 

 account. 



Where lambs are designed especially for the 

 butcher as early period of birth as is consistent 

 with safety is desirable. Like any other produc- 

 tion in the market, early and well-developed spec- 

 imens command the highest price and the readiest 

 sales. Let us assume as a basis of calculation, 

 for the profits of lamb rearing for the market, the 

 following data in a flock of sixty common wooded, 

 well-developed ewes. These, if properly cared 

 for, will, by offsetting the twins against the losses, 

 raise one lamb each. Setting aside ten of the 

 best yew lambs as substitutes for ten of the old- 

 est dams, whose powers will soon begin to fail, 

 we have left fifty for sale ; and the debit and cred- 

 it sides of our account will stand as follows : 



Stock Account. Dr. 



To 60 medium woolled ewes at $3 each $180 00 



Interest or investment one year 12 60 



$192 60 



CON1RA. CR. 



By 60 fleeces 3 lbs. each at 30c #■ lb $£4 00. 



By 50 lambs for slaughter at $1 50 75 00 



By 10 ewes displaced by lambs at $3 30 00 



$159 00 



This sum is nearly eighty-three per cent, on 

 the capital invested, and by substituting ten lambs 

 annuallo for the oldest sheep, the entire flock is 

 renewed in six years, and therefore subject to no 

 deterioration. In the above calculation it will be 

 observed we have made no account of the keep- 

 ing of the flock, an important item it must be ad- 

 mitted ; but the best figures we could give would 

 only be proximate, and inapplicable to many lo- 

 calities. We, therefore, leave for each farmer to 

 determine for himself. Within any reasonable 



