204 FEEDING ANIMALS. 



and their condition is much more under his control than 

 when in pasture. 



In soiling sheep, the grasses must be cut in a more tender 

 and succulent condition than for cattle or horses. Meadow 

 grasses should be cut when from 6 to 10 inches high, before 

 fairly heading out, and clover the same. If clover is 

 allowed to come into blossom, the sheep will only eat the 

 heads, leaves, and small branches, rejecting the body 

 of the stalks. The only way to induce them to eat 

 clover in blossom is to cut it all into one-half inch lengths 

 in a straw cutter, and then feed in troughs. In this form 

 sheep will eat it clean. 



Soiling offers the best plan for raising lambs for market, 

 as the dam may be fed in the best way to produce a large 

 yield of milk, and the lambs furnished with such addi- 

 tional food as will push them the fastest for an early market, 

 at which the best prices are obtained. We regard soiling as 

 specially adapted to sheep-feeding where lambs and mutton 

 are principally depended upon. 



As to the matter of health, the English practice of fold- 

 ing sheep upon turnips whilst they eat them out of the 

 ground, confines them longer on the same space than this 

 proposed plan of soiling ; and, therefore, it need not be 

 feared that their health will suffer under such confinement 

 with the weekly change. 



In the hottest part of the season there should be some 

 shelter to screen them from the sun. A simple canvas 

 awning will answer every purpose, and is easily put up and 

 removed. This will completely modify the sun's rays, and 

 add much to their comfort. This plan of feeding reduces 

 the labor of delivering the food to the sheep, since the soil- 

 ing crops are near. Prom our experiments in soiling sheep, 

 we became strongly impressed with its importance, espe- 

 cially on small farms and near good markets for mutton. 



