Practical Agriculture. 
527 = 261 
> the cake and corn given in troughs. As a precaution against 
ifost, portions of the root-crop are commonly (though not in all 
■arts of the kingdom) pulled and stored in the field, either by 
eing thrown into heaps and then covered down with straw, 
tubble, or earth, or a covering of earth over straw, or by laying 
few rows together and turning the soil up against them with a 
•lough. Care is not always taken to cut off the tops a day or 
wo before the sheep go on, as a precaution against frosted 
iops ; and another point not attended to so generally as by the 
test flockmasters, is easing the change from white-fleshed 
urnips to yellow-fleshed hybrids, and, of still more importance, 
r) the later diet of swedes, by mingling a proportion of the 
lext food in the cutter during a few days before the replacement 
f one by the other has to be made entirely. 
In the latter part of the winter, when the swedes are coming changing the 
0 an end and mangolds are resorted to, great care is taken to keup. 
hange the keep frequently — plots of winter barley and other 
lites of green stuff being frequently provided ; and the supply 
if dry food, of linseed or cotton-cake, or cake and meal, is more 
iberal. 
During the entire winter it is almost universal to keep the folds Dry food, 
veil supplied with hay and straw in racks or between hurdles, 
)r cut into chaff and given in troughs ; and a lump of salt in a 
overed tub or trough is not neglected. On some heavy lands it 
s customary to bed down portions of the fold with straw in a 
ainy time. Shelter is generally provided by making low walls 
>r racks of straw between open-framed hurdles ; and often, in 
xposed situations, light field sheds, of posts, hurdles, and straw, 
re put up. In the case of large flocks, the shepherd frequently The shepherd's 
as a wooden hut or house on wheels ; and where lambing takes 
.)lace in the fold, he has his bed there, and a fire. Where large 
ots of fatting sheep are being folded, they are watched by night 
s well as day, and the field-house serves as a butcher's-shop 
or instantly slaughtering and hanging-up any fat sheep which 
nay be found threatened with inflammatory or other dangerous 
lisease. 
Great attention is paid to the flock, especially to hoggets, Jr. dicine and 
hroughout the winter, to forestall disease by administering '''''^^^'"g- 
Iterative or diuretic drinks, and to counteract over-feeding 
vith roots by occasional removals to pasture. Paring the hoof 
nd applying a caustic dressing for foot-rot is a part of the shep- 
lerd's care, often laborious and almost incessant upon soft lands 
nd with heavy sheep. Long-woolled sheep are troubled with 
lots or balls of hardened soil and dung, hanging to their wool 
)ehind, which, at the close of winter, are removed by the shears. 
On hill or mountain farms, permanent stone-wall shelters are Mountain 
VOL. XIV.— s. s. 2 o 
