b2-2 = 2o6 
Practical Agriculture. 
practice. 
either for the ewes or for hay. It is at this time, when the 
sheep are on clover, that sliced or pulped mangolds prove of great 
value. They contain at this season much sugar, and correct the 
Mr. Rawleace's laxative tendency of the clover. Mr. Rawlence's practice, as 
described by Mr. H. ^I. Jenkins in his Report of the Bulbridge 
Farm (in the Society's ' Journal '), may be cited as an instance 
of successful treatment. Mr. Rawlence being a breeder of rams, 
a forcing system was adopted. "After lambing, the ewes get 
mangolds with hay-chaff, for about ten days in the lambing-pens, 
and, in addition to this food, the ewes with tup-lambs or with 
couples, get either one pint of oats or one pound of cake ; but 
unless roots are scarce, the remaining ewes are denied artificial 
food. At the expiration of ten days or a fortnight, the ewes and 
lambs go on turnips, and remain there till March 20th. About 
this date the ewes and lambs go into the water meadows by day, 
and are folded at night on swedes, for the first fortnight or so, 
and afterwards on Italian rye-grass, or occasionally on rye and 
winter oats, which have been sown where rye-grass has failed. 
This treatment is continued until the middle of May, when the 
lambs are weaned." Vetches, however, are most valuable food 
for sheep on arable land. By sowing successive crops in the 
autumn and early spring, some flock-masters secure continuous 
food from May to August ; and lambs thrive very well on such 
food when taught to eat it. Cotswold lambs are frequently 
weaned on vetches, the ewes being removed to a short pasture ; 
or, as is the practice in Hampshire, leaving them to follow, only 
doubling the line of separating hurdles. 
Shearing the ewes early in June, or somewhat earlier or later 
according to climate and locality, generally causes both mother 
and offspring to improve rapidly in condition ; and it is a good 
practice, not invariably followed, to dip the lambs immediately 
after shearing time, to destroy parasites which, by causing a 
high degree of continued irritation or perhaps tornjent, hinder 
the growth of lambs more than is commonly imagined. Indeed, 
the number of deaths occurring from lumps of wool in the stomach 
resulting from lambs biting themselves, and again, the great 
extent to which scour, and perhaps the development of intestinal 
worms, arises from the misery inflicted upon the helpless young 
animals by ticks and lice, appear to have determined the most 
careful as well as most humane flock-masters to make use of 
dipping more frequently than was usual a few years ago. This 
subject of dipping, along with pouring and smearing, will be 
referred to further on. 
Tlie beginning of July is perhaps the most general time loi 
weaning ; thougli in the sunny south it is June, and in some 
districts often in May. Experiments made with Leicester lambs 
Shearing ewes 
and dipping 
lambs. 
Time for 
weaning. 
