440 FEEDING ANIMALS. 



that depends on the condition of the sheep. If they are 

 not pretty fat, I continue the full-feed of cake, meal, or 

 grain, with their clover, and on both they fatten wonder- 

 fully fast. This year (1862-63) I fed buckwheat, a pound 

 to each per day half in the morning and half at 4 p. M. 

 with wheat and barley straw. I found the sheep gained a 

 little over one pound each per week. It never was profit- 

 able for me to commence fattening lean sheep. Sheep 

 should be tolerably fair mutton when yarded. I keep their 

 yards and sheds well littered with straw. 



"Last year I only fed straw one month. I fed each 

 sheep one pound of buckwheat. From the 20th of October 

 to the 1st of March they gained 1% Ibs. each per week. 

 They were Merinos but not those with the large cravats 

 around their necks. I have fed sheep for the Eastern 

 markets for more than 30 years, and I always made a profit 

 on them, except in 1841-42 ; I then fed at a loss ; and it 

 was a tight squeeze in 1860-61 to get their manure for 

 profit. Some years I have made largely. Taking all 

 together, it has been a good business for me." 



This account of sheep-feeding is on a different plan from 

 the one we have been considering, of making it a sys- 

 tematic business the feeder breeding his own sheep. But 

 we give it to show what a careful feeder may do on a grain 

 farm to keep up its fertility. Mr. Johnston's gains per 

 week are small besides those we shall give of feeding the 

 mutton breeds ; but his results are remarkable, considering 

 the fact that the sheep he bought were those of slow 

 growth and late maturity. His success in winter-feeding 

 on that plan was largely owing to his custom of buying in 

 October, and giving them good pasture for some two 

 months. His straw-feeding would also have been much 

 less successful had he not fed oil-cake with it. The very 

 nitrogenous oil-cake balanced the carbonaceous straw, and 

 this oil-cake greatly enriched the manure. 



