888 SHEEP - fiAISING. 



we are indebted to the very complete work of Mr. Stewart, before 

 referred to. A rough dam is made across a small stream, and a 

 spout or apron placed in the dam, beneath which the sheep are 

 washed. A sparred roadway is laid across the stream, through 

 which the water will escape. For a large flock the spout may be 

 made to extend across the; whole dam, so that several sheep may. be 

 washed at the same time. 



The washing of sheep should be done at least a week before 

 shearing, and in the interval they should be kept in a clean field in 

 the day-time and in a yard at night, so that the fleece may dry and 

 regain sufficient yolk to recover a soft arid mellow handling. Sheep 

 are most advisably shorn when the spring weather has become warm 

 and settled. The month of May is commonly chosen as shearing- 

 time in the United States. Among experienced farmers no inven- 

 tion has yet taken the place of the common shears for shearing. 



Care and Feeding in, Winter. . 



The sheep, being the most tender and sensitive of all domestic 

 animals, is naturally the most susceptible to the sharp changes in 

 the seasons which characterize the climate of our country. But not 

 only this, no animal is so easily affected as the sheep by the requi- ' 

 site changing of food from summer pasturing to winter fodder. 

 Sheep need safe and protecting shelter in winter ; but they need 

 something more strongly than shelter, and that is nutritious food. 

 Nature makes few mistakes in. the food she provides : man makes 

 innumerable ones. He who can feed sheep judiciously and econom- 

 ically in winter is entitled to call himself a good shepherd. 



The barn in Which sheep are fed must have a clean and thor- 

 oughly dry floor, and a roof that will keep out as well the rain as 

 the snow, and must have abundant and proper ventilation. The 

 building should if possible be on a side-hill, and if not, the location 

 should be thoroughly drained. 



For winter fodder for' sheep, a large list of foods may be named, 

 including various kinds of roots, corn, oats, rye, peas, buckwheat, 

 hay, straw, pea and bean haulm| corn-fodder, cotton seed and lin- 

 seed oil-cake, meal, and bran. We compile the following table of 

 the relative values of these different foods from analyses given in an 

 exceedingly valuable little book written by Henry Stewart, entitled 

 "The Shepherd's Manual," and published by The Orange Judd 

 Company, New York City, — a work which ought to be in the hands 

 of every farmer : — 



