232 
j^'arnuiirj of Oxjoydsldie. 
January , Swedes. July . . Clover, summer vetches. 
February. Ditto. Aus^ust . Ditto Ditto. 
Mareli . Ditto. September Rape, clover, early tur- 
Ajjril . . Ditto and mangold. nips. 
May . . Mangold, rye, trifolium, October . White turnijjs. 
vetches. ! November Ditto. 
June . . Vetches, trifolium, \ December Ditto and Swedes. 
The sheep may be classified under the head of ewes, whose 
produce are to be fattened immediately or kept for tegs, and dry 
sheep which are being made into mutton or kept in store con- 
dition. The first fat lambs begin to be dropped about Christ- 
mas, and of course at that inclement season require great care 
and attention. The ewes yean in a yard or standing pen, which 
is cheaply constructed of hurdles roofed with loose straw. They 
are supplied with swedes and with long hay, given them in little 
wicker cages placed on the ground. The lambs obtain their 
share of this provender, and have access to the troughs contain- 
ing the corn, which is either peas or old split beans. As the 
weather becomes milder, and the lambs stronger, they are 
driven to a fold of turnips in the day, but return to tlie yard at 
night. Tlie lambs speedily begin to eat corn, and will consume 
from half a })int to a pint per day, or a bushel in their short 
lives. When Lady-day arrives lambs are in season : some of them 
are sent alive by rail to London, but most are slaughtered and 
forwarded to town. When from 12 to 16 weeks old lambs fetch 
from 30s. to 355. per head. The second lot of fat lambs are yeaned 
in February, or later, and do not receive any corn : they are 
bountifully supplied with swedes and hay, and then turned into 
the grass-grounds, from whence they are sold in July, &c., at 
285. and 3O5. each. The ewes speedily fatten after they have 
lost their lambs, and are disposed of to the country butchers 
from August to October. 
Down lambs unquestionably command more money per lb. 
than the half-breds, but of course do not weigh so heavily. At 
Ascott a horned W^iltshirc ram is used, as the produce at a very 
early age come to a large size and are very fat. During the last 
few years, when stock lambs have sold so well, the advantage of 
fatting lambs is very questionable. There is certainly a quick 
return, and a chance offered of making off the ewes at grass, 
but the expense and risk of fatting lambs is very great, and in 
many instances the feeders have to give as much for store lamlis 
in the autumn as they sold their fat lambs for in the summer. 
The second lot of fat lambs causing less trouble and little extra 
cost, frequently pay better than the early ones, but these can 
only be successfully grazed by those who have a large extent 
of rich meadow land. 
