898 APPENDIX. 



ewe to a late lamb. I have rarely, however, more than five bar 

 ren ewes to the 100, and that would be the case if 10 bucks had 

 been permitted to run with them. The time when I turn in my 

 bucks is from the 20th to the 25th of Nov. ; the ewes therefore be- 

 gin yeaning about the 20th of April. 



[Mr. Johnston thinks, and very fightly too, that it is bad policy 

 to put ewes, of the Saxon and Merino blood, to buck before they 

 are two and a half years old.] 



I always tag my sheep thoroughly before I turn them to pas- 

 ture, and wash them well about twelve days before shearing them.. 

 I salt regularly once a week during the season of pasturage ; salt 

 is mixed with the oil meal when fed, as often as once a week, or 

 else a brine is made and sprinkled over the straw. 



The protection of sheep from severe weather, I deem very im- 

 portant. My sheds are 24 feet wide, 16 feet posts. With girts 5 J 

 feet from the foot of the posts, with poles laid on them to support 

 the hay, leaving the clear space under for sheep to go in at pleas- 

 ure. 



[Mr. . Johnston makes use of the box rack, and his feeding 

 troughs are of triangular shape and made of boards.] 



During some winters I have confined my sheep to their vards, 

 while other seasons I have allowed them to go in and out at will ; 

 but the former management I deem altogether preferable, though 

 it is attended with much additional trouble in pumping water for 

 them. More manure is made by confining them wholly, an object 

 of much importance to the fanner; in addition to all, quietness is 

 promoted by it, and more flesh will be acquired from the same 

 amount of feed. 



[Mr. Johnston adopts the old Scotch system of castration- 

 making an incision on each side of the scrotum, and then drawing 

 out the testicles with the teeth ; he thinks highly of this method.] 



In conclusion, I wiU add that land in this neighborhood is 

 worth fifty dollars per acre, and will pay as good an interest, or 

 perhaps better, by raising sheep, than by tillage. Yet sheep and 

 wheat do well together, for the sheep manure the land, and better 

 crops of wheat and grass follow. 



LETTER FROM JOSEPH BARNARD, OP HOPKINTON, NEW HAMI 

 SHIRE. 



Dear Sir, — Your letter of 12th inst. was duly received, and by 

 its contents I am informed that you are preparing a work for publi- 

 cation on sheep-husbandry, which I think is very much caUed for 

 in this ceuntry. 



You wished me to g^ve you a history of my flock of sheep-r- 

 their pedigree, &c. The following are the answers to your in- 

 oniries : — The number of my flock is between three ea^ *•"» 



