188 Western Lave-stock Management 
say, docking and castrating are commonly neglected on 
the farms, while on the range neglect in this regard is 
practically unheard of. 
Growing the lamb. 
In order to make the most out of a lamb whether he be 
a mutton or pure-bred lamb, he must be grown as cheaply 
as possible, which means to feed him well while he is 
young, as he then makes the most economical gains. It is 
well to put as much gain as possible on the lambs during 
the months of April and May, as these months are when 
feed and weather are best. The best results on the general 
farm in the Northwest are obtained when the lambs are 
grown on sown pastures such as vetch and oats, vetch 
and rye, clover, and rape and clover. Sheep are commonly 
kept on the general farms for scavenger purposes, but 
good lambs cannot be grown in this way. The common 
system is to have a few sheep to clean up the fence corners, 
stubblefields, and the like. The lambs receive no care 
and slowly mature into scrawny brutes of little value. If, 
instead of raising twenty-five lambs in this manner, the 
grower were to raise fifty by the more modern method, 
he would derive a much greater profit, while the ewes 
could clean up the fields after the lambs are weaned or 
sold. 
It will be necessary to have several fields for the lambs 
in order to secure the best gains and that each kind of 
pasture may be utilized in its proper season. It is also 
especially desirable to have fresh pastures on which to 
finish the lambs if they are for the mutton market. Often 
the lambs do well until about ready for market. Then 
the pastures begin to fail and the lambs, which were so 
nearly done, begin to go backward, and the dry season 
