SHEEP. 



moveable, either by means of wheels or other cAntrivaiices, 

 being drawn to difTerent lituations according as they may be 

 wanted. See SiiEEP-Hou/f. 



Tliore n likewife another fort of more imperfeft fliecp- 

 fold, which is formed by the planting of trees in didcrent 

 methods, lo as to :ifrord the animals a fort of protedion 

 from tiie feverity of the winter feafon, as well as from the 

 exceilive heats of the fummer. Tliefe are termed tree-folds, 

 and fomctimes/i/an/rt/m folds, from the manner in which they 

 are formed. See Tree-FoU. 



In the conilruftion of the fecond fort of {beep-folds, 

 which were molUy formed in feme diflant parts of the farm, 

 in which cafes they were often ienomir.ated^anding-oiit folds, 

 a cheap and fimple method was had recourle to by an excellent 

 (heep-farmer in Suffolk ( Mr. Macro). He incloied a double 

 fold with thirteen dozen of old hurdles feven feet long each, 

 formed of wands, and raifed a haulm fence around them, com- 

 pofed of upwards of fixty loads of wheat ftubble, the area of 

 the fold being littered with about thirty loads more : in this 

 the flock, were to be lodged where the field fold was unfafe, or 

 could not be removed from place to place, on account 

 of froit, fnow, or flood ; and it is ftated, that he made 

 during the fame winter feafon, 493 loads of manure, im- 

 proving at the fame time the condition of his flock. The 

 Und, it is obfepved, lay at too great a diilance to be 

 manured from the home-(t.ill. He likewife adds, that be- 

 fore he tiioughtof this plan, his Iheep were always obliged 

 to lie in bad weather, upon a certain (heltered part of the 

 heath, where the fold manure was not only loft to his farm, 

 but the grafs on which the dung was heaped in fuch quan- 

 tity became fo coarfe and four, that nothing would cat it ; 

 and that, exclufive of this injury, he ufed to lofe by mor- 

 tality, in a wet or fevere feafon, during yeaning ti.me, a tnuch 

 greater number of both flieep and lambs, for want of the 

 dry, warm lodging of a flickered fold, the advantage of 

 which he tllimatcd at thirty or forty pounds a-year at lealt. 

 He faved not lefs by his improved plan than thirty lambs in 

 X year, befides (heep amounting to a greater number of lambs 

 than he ufually reared in one year during the period of his 

 farming bulinefs. 



And by the forming of thefe folds in any other cheap 

 convenient manner, fimilar benefits may be derived by the 

 (heep-farmer. 



In all thefe cafes the flieep fliould be littered down as above 

 »"•■ often as necedary, and be well fed, twice in the day at leaft, 

 with fuch food as has been provided, being let out during 

 the middle of the day, except when the feafon i.^ very 

 ttormy and fevere. It is dated in the Annals of Agriculture, 

 that one hundred and thirty-four flieep confined in this way 

 for the period of fix weeks, and littered with five loads of 

 forty trufliis each of oat-llraw, forty pounds to the trufs, 

 made twenty-eight large loads of manure, confuming two 

 acres of turnips within the time. 



The great fiiperiority of this fort of fold over that of the 

 naked moveable kind, is therefore fufficiently obvious, and 

 may probably be had recourfe to at all leafons with lome 

 advantage. See SiliiBr, and Folding of Sheep. Alfo 

 SHV.v.i'Tard. 



A fl)tep-f(>ld has been lately invented by Mr. Plowman 

 of Broome, Norfolk, ujioii an improved and very ilmple 

 principle, combining many advantages over the old and cx- 

 penfive method of folding by hurdles ; and as the whole fold 

 can be removed with eafe at all times, it will be found pecu- 

 liarly ufeful in fieduig ofl turnips on the land in trolly wea- 

 ther, wlieu hurdles cannot be uhd. It is dated that the ex- 

 pence, in the firll inllancc, will exceed that of hurdleo, 

 for the fame given quantity of flieep ; but having had 



one in ufe nearly three years, he it fatisfied th« favmg 

 will be very confidorable : for, before he adopted this me- 

 thod of folding, he loft from thirty to forty nights folding 

 in the year, owing to the land being hard in dry fea. 

 fons ; which renders folding almoft impracticable, as they 

 never can be fet without great labour and dcftruftion of 

 hurdles. He is alfo clearly of opinion, that tlie ftock of 

 fl.eep will be greatly increafed when this method of folding 

 becomes more known ; and that it will enable many fmall 

 farmers to keep from 50 to 100 flieep, who are now de- 

 terred from it on account of the fmall cinantity of feed they 

 have not anfwering to keep a man for that purpofe only ; but 

 by this plan, they may keep a boy at 3^. or 3^. (id. per week, 

 who can attend on loc or 2CO fheep, and move the fold 

 himfelf without any afliilance. In heavy gales of wind it 

 frequently happens that the hurdles are blown down, and the 

 flieep of courfe being at liberty to range over the crops do 

 incalculable mifchief, which cannot happen with this fold. 

 And in fomc counties in England, where hogs are folded, 

 great difiicultics arc experienced for want of ftowage, for 

 them to feed ofl^ winter lant, &c. Sec. as they root up every 

 (lake or hurdle ; and having tried the experiment, he is 

 certain this fold will keep tliem in, and defy their attempts to 

 difplace it. And an altonilhing quantity of time is faved, 

 as a man can remove a fold to contain 300 flieep in five mi- 

 nutes, which by the old method frequently takes fome hour» 

 to accomplifli. Many are now ufing folds from his model ; 

 and he received for the invention the gold medal of the So- 

 ciety for the Encouragement of Arts, &c. 



It is further remarked, that where the fold is wanted to be 

 ufed on very hilly ground, it muft be begun at the top and 

 worked dov/n to the bottom for tiie eafe of removing it, 

 and then drawn up again with a liorfe. This, however, he 

 has never had occafion to do, for his land is ploughed in a 

 contrary direftion, and he works the fold in the fame courfe 

 as the ridges. By this means the inconvenience is avoided 

 of crofling the fnrrow.i ; and they are alfo a guide to keep 

 the fold in a ftraight diredtion. With refpedt to the .flieep 

 getting under, he does not recollect that circumftance to have 

 ever happened, nor does he conceive that any land, which ik 

 cultivated, can be fo uneven as to admit of it. 



This fiieep.fold is twenty-one feet in length and three 

 feet eleven inches in height, being compofed of a top-rail, 

 and bars below paffed through uprights ; the whole moving 

 on low call-iron wheels, and made ftrong, but in a light 

 manner. 



SilEZP-Houfe, a fort of flight wooden building, conftrufted 

 for the purpofe of containing and protetling flieep in bad 

 weather, &c. Houfes of this kind are ulually made low, 

 for the lake of warmth in the winter, being moftly a third 

 part longer than they have breadth ; they fliould alfo be 

 fiifliciently large for the quantity of flieep they are to con- 

 tain. The fides fliould be lined with boards, and the bottoms 

 be laid in an even manner with ftone or fomc other material, 

 that the litter may be well impregnated with the urine ol 

 the flieep. And it has been adviled to have the fides expofed 

 to the fun, fet with lined moveable hurdles, that when it Ihinea 

 the whole may be laid open, to nfl^ord due retrcfliment, and 

 give the flieep an opportunity of feeding upon the pallurc 

 wherein they fland. They fliould be well and fecurcly co. 

 vercd with fome fort of proper material upon the tops. They 

 are fometimes fixed in particular fit nations, but in other 

 cafes, which is the more improved method, fo conllrudcd 

 as to be capable of being removed as they may be wanted. 

 One of the latter kind, employed on the farm of the Hon. 

 George Villers, in Hertfordlhire, which is very complete, 

 is delcribed, with a plate, in the Corrected Agricultural Sur- 



vejr 



