Practical Agriculture. 
519 = 255 
healthy as sheep were when fed on turnips some years ago. 
<. vou will have imagined, and as it nee<ls no philosopher to 
11 you, ewes fed on grass are much more healthy than when 
d on turnips. 
" It is very evident that sheep are not so healthy as they used 
be. One reason is, I think, the land being farmed more 
I ghly for turnips ; and I have repeatedly remarked that we lose 
ore sheep after a heavy crop of turnips. I do not think the 
i tificial manure of itself is the cause, beyond forcing a turnip 
!to a had qualiti/, which frequently causes us great loss just at 
•mbing-time. I think it must be clear to any person who has 
llowed my remarks in giving details of cases, that swedes are 
coved to be unhealthy food for breeding-ewes. I might have 
llduced many other cases from my returns confirmatory of this, 
d the few instances where the ewes have done well when 
feding on swedes, the daily supply has been limited, and there 
|is almost invariably been an allowance of other food — as hay- 
liaff, with a liberal admixture of bran. I believe that the 
Irdict of a large majority of the thinking and practical farmers 
j«d experienced shepherds throughout the country will be 
fis — that if we make it a rule to flush our ewes by stimulating 
od during the tupping season, to avoid feeding on swedes as 
uch as possible, to limit the supply of other roots as far as 
rcumstances will permit, to give a fairly liberal allowance of 
gestible, nutritious, and health-preserving dry food, and to 
n the ewes out on grass as much as possible (taking care 
ver to over-fatigue them) before lambing, there will in future 
far fewer cases of abortion and death amongst ewes than we 
ve now to deplore, and many more strong and healthy lambs 
11 be reared than at present. One other point is this. The 
es lost during lambing would appear from my returns to 
greatest where short-woolled ewes have been put to long- 
)olled rams. The evidence, I say, is unquestionable that 
eater mortality attends lambing where short-woolled ewes 
e put to large-boned, long-woolled rams, than where the 
es breed after their own kind. Where cross-bred ewes are 
ved by Oxford Down rams, the loss of ewes has been less 
m in the case of the short-woolled ewes served by long- 
)olled rams ; and I presume the reason is that the half-bred 
es, having their parts more fully developed from the cross, 
■ the better adapted to perform the functions required of them." 
Raising and Fattening House Lambs, as practised in the Early lamb, 
uthern counties, from ewes of the Dorset horned breed, 
inmonly using Down or cross-bred rams, is thus conducted, 
le ewes are brought to take the ram as early as May and June, 
feeding them upon trifolium and cut swedes, or mangold 
