RAISING LAMBS FOE AN EAELY MARKET 113 



or more, has cleaned out his old flock and is ready to start 

 a new one. During June or July he will purchase from the 

 mountain or the Southern farmers a flock of about one hun- 

 dred ewes, — it is seldom that more than one hundred and 

 fifty ewes are kept on one farm, — paying from three dollars 

 and fifty cents to five dollars a head for them. When he 

 gets his sheep home he turns them into the poorest pastures 



The Ram is Half the Flock 



he has until August ; then they are given the best grazing 

 available, and the rams are turned in with them. This is 

 called " flushing," and it is supposed to start the ewes to 

 rutting and increase the per cent of lambs that will be 

 dropped the next spring. The best flock managers leave 

 the rams with the ewes about two months. 



From August to January the ewes are kept on blue- 

 grass pasture, and in a good many years it is not necessary 



