Practical Agriculture. 
529 = 265 
distinguishing feature in his excellent and, indeed, model prac- 
icc is the wintering of tegs in yards having sheds, the floors 
)f which are covered with burnt soil. This is added as often 
is needful, from October, when the sheep go into their winter 
•juarters, till the end of April. It accumulates till it is often 
) feet deep, and is turned over by degrees, as it becomes satu- 
ated with urine and dung. This serves a double purpose — pre- 
i Tving the feet of the sheep against foot-rot, and making a 
aluable addition to the artificial manure-compost for the root- 
rops. Burnt soil not being always available for bottoming the 
ard outside the sheds, straw is used ; and when neither can be 
pared, Mr. Randell has recourse to tan. The feet of the sheep 
ire pared every six weeks. Their food is pulped mangolds, 
vheat-chaff, and malt-dust, as one mixture ; clover, chaff, Indian 
orn, and cotton-cake, as another. 
Fattening Sheep in Sheds is practised to some extent, though Shed-fecding 
lot very generally, excepting for Show purposes. The most ^hecp. 
;ommon bed for sheep-houses is straw, freshly littered at frequent 
ntervals, and in small quantities — no more than sufficient for 
keeping the sheep clean. But some few feeders employ a 
looring of boards or spars, having f -inch-wide openings between, 
hrough which the droppings pass into an excavated pit below, 
he floor being in compartments readily lifted for the purpose of 
occasionally strewing peat-earth, sawdust, or other dry absorbents 
upon the accumulating manure. The food is green stuflF, as 
:lover or tares ; and, in winter, cut turnips or mangold, com- 
nonly from 14 lbs. up to 28 lbs. per sheep, with hay and chaff, 
'ind oilcake, beans, peas, or oats, in various mixtures, from ^ lb. 
bp to 1 lb. or 1 J \hy per head per day. The sheep must have 
iccess to water. 
According to Mr. Mechi, a general practical rule is that 
•ibout 7 lbs. of rape-cake, linseed-cake, or beans, will make 1 lb. 
of mutton. Experiments made by Mr. Lawes, upon sheep of 
. arious breeds, brought out the conclusion that sheep well fed. 
ander cover increase weekly about 2 per cent, upon their live- 
.veight ; and they will consume about 70 lbs. of roots, 4| lbs. of 
lay, and 4J lbs. of cake, per head per week, for every 100 lbs. 
>f their live- weight. 
CHAPTEE V. 
Management of Pigs. 
3n almost every occupation in the kingdom, whether the 
ottager's plot, the grass dairy-farm, the large corn-farm, or 
•vcn the hill sheep-farm, swine form a more or less important 
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