382 
The Winter 0/ 1885-86. 
of Sheep,' was delivered on the 23rd of December, 1863, when the following 
remarks were made : — 
" ' One thing has struck me in the large flocks of Norfolk, and that is 
the little care that appears to be shown, or rather, felt to be desirable, for the 
protection of the lambs. In large flocks, the shepherd is frequently over- 
worked; the lambs are often dropped in very severe weather; there is very 
little protection for tliem ; there may perhaps be fifteen, or twenty, or thirty 
pens, but there are not pens enough, and i have seen a great many lambs 
perish from this cause. Now it is of great importance to every flockmaster, 
whether great or small, to prepare a yaid for his ewes. It is not necessary to 
have ihem in yards on a fine and mild night ; but you should have a good and 
well-sheltered yard, abundantly supplied with pens, and then you can put 
your flock in it if the night becomes a bad one ; because I feel quite sure, and 
1 have i^roved it by my own experience, that any little outlay upon this 
matter is well repaid by the number of lives of lambs saved. 
" ' I have proved that a good yard, with sixty well-covered pens, may be 
put up at a cost of (in the first instance) not exceeding 111., and if properly 
taken care of when the lambing season is over, will last for several years. It 
may be put up again on any part of a fiarm at a cost of not exceeding 3?.' 
" The lambing yard to which I referred is still in use, and likely to be for 
some years to come. The advantages of movable lambing yarrls over per- 
manently fixed yards are much greater than many persons imagine. A 
movable yard can, each year, be placed where most convenient for ewes during 
the lambing season ; and by having the yards on fresh ground, there is no fear 
of the ewes being tainted from any case of straining which may have occurred 
during the previous lambing season. This disease has broken out very much 
more in permanent lambing yards than in those which have been movable. 
" In addition to the lambing yard I have named, the sheep folds are 
sheltered by fold cloths (3j feet deep and each 60 feet long) fastened to the 
hurdles. 
" 9. Undoubtedly the short crop of roots of last year was the cause of many 
partially fattened cattle and sheep being forced on to glutted markets, which 
necessarily keep down prices. In addition to the shortness of the root crop, 
another cause may be assigned for sending half-fatted animals to market and 
auction, and that was, the necessity that too many jjersons found to raise 
money by disposing of anything they might be able to sell. 
" 10. This is a difficult question to answer, as so much depends ripon locality 
and local circumstances. No rule can be sirictly laid down. Every farmer 
ought to be the best judge as to what he can and ought to do under any 
difiiculty that may arise. What might be suitable in one district would 
probably be unsuited to another district of quite a different character, and in 
a different climate." 
Mr. T. Moore Hudson, Castle Acre, Swaffham, Norfolk : 
"1. Mixed sandy loam. Various. 
"2. The months of June, July, and Aucrust, were very warm and dry; 
autumn, fine; winter and early spring of 18H6, very cold. 
" 3. An excei)tionally good crop of roots, on all of which stock fatted well, 
and were exceedingly healthy. 
" 5. No. A ])lentiful sujiply of Drumhead cabbages produced a good supply 
of ewes and lambs. 
" 0. No. The only silo I know in this neighbourhood has been erected 
two years, and has never yet had a load of grass or other green food put 
into it. 
" 7. No shelter provided in this district, neither is any required." 
