GROWING AND FITTING SHEEP FOR EXHIBITION 265 



preferred to that which is larger, as it adds to the square- 

 like appearance of the buttock. When but little of the 

 sac is removed in castration, it fills with fat in the well- 

 finished animal, and is so far an indication of condition. 



Grazing for the dams — The aim should be to furnish 

 grazing for the ewes that will aid them in furnishing a 

 large amount of milk, relatively, until the lambs are 

 weaned. Such grazing should be not only palatable but 

 highly succulent. 



Winter rye is first ready in the spring. After rye, 

 brome grass, blue grass, clover and rape follow each other 

 in near succession where all these can be grown. The 

 spring vetch also will be ready somewhat earlier than 

 rape. After vetch or rape pasture has arrived, so com- 

 pletely suitable are they that it is not necessary to look 

 for other pasture. Peas, oats, rape and vetch sown to- 

 gether furnish grazing that is high in favor with some 

 of those who grow sheep that are to be shown. 



Should it be impracticable to furnish grazing, it may 

 be possible to furnish soiling food, and this when chosen 

 with judgment and judiciously fed will give results about 

 as satisfactory as those obtained from grazing. But feed- 

 ing soiling food involves more labor, and it does not 

 furnish an equal opportunity with grazing for the sheep 

 to take exercise. The best soiling foods include alfalfa, 

 clover, vetches and oats, kale and rape. When these are 

 of fine growth and leafy and full of succulence, they will 

 prove much more suitable than when the opposite condi- 

 tions prevail. None of these can be obtained so early as 

 grazing, and until food can be obtained from them the 

 feeding of roots should be continued, but not necessarily 

 after the feeding of soiling food or even the grazing of 

 pasture has commenced. 



The feeding of concentrates to both ewes and lambs 

 should be continued without change until the lambs are 

 weaned, except that in nearly all instances, it may be re- 

 duced in quantity. For the components of the grain food 



