I/O MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF SHEEP 



pastures are of short duration. In some instances they 

 are grazed but one year; in others for two and even for 

 three and four seasons. The grazing of these may, of 

 course, alternate with the production of hay. 



More commonly the best arrangement of grass pas- 

 tures for sheep is that which provides both temporary and 

 permanent grazing. Permanent pasture in some form is 

 usually a great convenience when grazing sheep, as it 

 may be relied upon to furnish grazing at any season of 

 the year when the ground is bare ; whereas other pastures 

 might not prove so suitable in periods of prolonged rain- 

 fall, as they are not covered with so firm a turf. 



Pastures supplementary in character — The plan of 

 supplementing the grass pastures with grazing furnished 

 by other plants is growing in favor wherever sheep are 

 kept primarily for mutton. Of course, such pastures can- 

 not be grown on the open ranges, but the sheep may be 

 taken from the ranges to the grazing thus provided under 

 arable farm conditions, and this method of grazing and 

 even of finishing range sheep is growing in favor. 



The following are prominent among the plants that 

 are or may be grown to provide such grazing for sheep 

 in the United States and Canada. Among the small 

 cereals are rye, wheat, oats, barley and speltz. Among 

 the leguminous cereals are the Canada pea, the cowpea, 

 the common vetch and the sand vetch. Among those of 

 the maize and sorghum habit of growth are corn, sweet 

 sorghum and some of the non-saccharine sorghums. 

 Among plants of the Brassica family are rape, kale, kohl- 

 rabi, cabbage and white mustard. Among the tubers are 

 peanuts and sweet potatoes, and among field roots are 

 turnips and rutabagas. It is not the purpose to dwell 

 here on the methods of growing these. They have been 

 discussed at some length in other works from the author's 

 pen, more especially "Forage Crops Other than Grasses" 

 and "Cultivated Crops." The object sought is to show 



