Practical Agriculture. 
521 = 255 
Hav or hav-chaff, also, is given to the lambs twice-a-daj ; but 
fter eight or nine weeks old, they have it three times a day — 
'he last feeding being not later than three o'clock, as the hay not 
raten will be spoiled in case of rain. The portions of hay, after 
Slaving been picked over by the lambs, go to their mothers. The 
ambs are ready for the butcher at ten or eleven weeks old. 
Summer treatment of Flocks. — Ewes, with their lambs, are thinly Grazing ewes 
tocked upon the sweetest and best suckling (not the rankest l;irabs. 
attening) pastures which the farm will afford, or upon young 
ccds where permanent grass land is not available. The lambs, 
.fter having recovered from the sanguinary, but partly indis- 
)ensable and partly fashionable, operations of castration, tail- 
•utting, and ear-marking, at about ten days to a fortnight old 
though castration is now becomins: more usual at two months 
lid, by the process of searing and the use of blue ointment and 
ard), and after having grown strong upon their mothers' milk, 
•cam in search of such natural grasses as instinct appears to 
'lirect them to for their better sustenance. At any rate, the 
'nore spacious pasture room they have to range over the better 
hey prosper. The ewes, with all good managers, are well 
ed with cake and corn in addition to roots and hay, or what 
irovender forms the bulk of their food in the early spring. 
The management of the Hampshire and Wiltshire Down Hampshire and 
ambs offers one of the very best examples of judicious feeding Wiltshire 
hat can be found. The primary object being to get the lambs '"''""Scraent. 
'O the market in the autumn, no expense is spared to provide 
requent changes of food. As soon as the lambs can eat, they 
Hre allowed corn and cake in troughs in front. After the 
•■umips are eaten, the flock is placed on water meadows by day, 
,nd on late swedes, if any remain, at night ; then on rye and 
yinter oats, Italian rye-grass, &c. If there are no water meadows, 
portion of the clover layer forms excellent food ; and this should 
Iways be folded wfT, the lambs having the front pen. At this 
ime they will eat a considerable quantity of food. There are 
wo plans ; either to keep the ewes in close quarters, having a 
amb pen a-head, and shifting often twice a-day, or else to let 
hem hie back on the land they have already cleared. The first 
»lan, according to the Editor of " The Sheep and Pigs of Great 
'ritain," is, on the whole, preferable, and may be safely carried 
'Ut, when the sheep have a night change. If, however, the 
*armer is necessitated to keep them entirely on the seeds (which 
f course is very undesirable), more room is necessary ; but even 
hen he must not keep them on the ground long, otherwise 
imbs eat the young shoots and scour. By going rapidly over the 
urface (that is eating down close), and then passing on, the plant 
rows again evenly, and in due time another crop is secured, 
