244 MANAGEMENT OF SHEEP. 



neous. Sheep love clover hay, and will increase more rap- 

 idly in flesh if it is provided for them, than by any other de* 

 scription ; but the quantity in bulk, comparatively, they re- 

 quire of it, is enormous. If farmers will top-dress their 

 meadows with sheep manure, and occasionally harrow them, 

 and early in the fall sow a little of timothy and other grass 

 seed, the herbage will maintain a vigorous growth, and full 

 crops for successive years may be expected. The manure, 

 however, from the sheep-folds will, if hay has been used for 

 fodder, afford generally the required quantity of seed. 



From the above premises we are enabled to deduce an ex- 

 ceedingly important fact, which, if always duly considered, 

 will be the means of avoiding the serious blunders hitherto 

 so frequently committed by American breeders, namely, that 

 it requires an equal amount of food to produce a pound of flesh, 

 or a pound of wool, without regard to the size of the sheep, or 

 the breed. This is indeed a truism, and therefore self-evi- 

 dent. But by way of illustrating the point, let us select one 

 of each of the rival breeds of England — the South Down 

 and Leicester ; we will suppose the live weight of the former, 

 when in store condition, to be 100 lbs., and that of the Lei- 

 cester 150 lbs., which is probably, in general, the relative 

 disproportion. Now it is clear, taking the estimate of Mr. 

 Spooner, which is the standard of England, the Down sheep 

 will consume 3 1-3 lbs. of hay daily, while the Leicester 

 will need 5 lbs. Is the latter, however, more or less profit- 

 able than the Down ? Clearly there is no difference, for the 

 offal is relatively the same, and so is the proportion of the 

 valuable parts-^the flesh and the wool. The expenditure 

 of food for the Leicester is greatly the largest, but only in 

 proportion to the difference of value derived from the addi- 

 tional size of its carcase. Thus it is seen, the pound of 

 everything in both animals costs alike, and all circumstances 

 being equal, the profits are the same.* 



But we will go farther, and instance the Merino and Sax- 

 on, alike distinguished for wool-growing purposes. The 

 Saxon, it will be remembered, is of the same race, being 

 only a sub-variety of the former. Let a selection be made 

 ei one of each, which combines to the greatest extent their 



* Let it be nnderatood by the reader that the point is wool and fleah, 

 and not fat, which it will readily be conceded several breeds of animals 

 will gather more rapidly than others, arising either from improved con- 

 ftnmation or more quietness of habit. 



