236 
On the Feeding of Stock 
ulien sheep have to be bought. Experience has taught us that 
well-bred and well-reared wether hoggets, valued at 30s. at 
Michaelmas, will pay better for fattening than the common run 
of older sheep bought at a venture. 
Some object to a breeding flock on the ground that their land 
is too rich ; and I have no doubt that in some cases the objec- 
tion is valid ; but it seems a pity that the occupiers so circum- 
stanced, if men of capital and enterprise, do not get a slice of 
lean to go along with their fat land ; they would not commonly 
have far to seek for it. 
Some object that their land is too cold and wet : in such districts 
Mr. Bond has shown that, if the mangold and the bean-straw be 
turned to the best account, such difficulties may be overcome, in 
which case the old pastures, from which sheep and other stock 
have carried away so much for so long a time, may yet get a 
good turn in th^ir character of dry and clean lair, without the 
drawback of having the heart of the herbage gnawn out as of 
old when sheep were wintered on them.* 
But some object to a breeding flock on the ground that the 
poorly-fed ewe and the growing lamb extract more of the virtue 
out of their food than the fatting sheep. And to some extent 
the objection is valid ; but to what extent ? 
First, what portion would the growing lamb extract from 
rich food ? — next, how much less would the fatting sheep con- 
.sume ? — and lastly, does this difference — this fraction of a frac- 
tion — amount to more than can be compensated by the extra 
profit derived from lambs? 
On these points practical men are left very much to grope 
their way in the dark, ignorant whether one-half, one-fourth, or 
one-eighth would m(jst nearly represent, say, the portion of nitro- 
genous matter used up by a lamb when eating oilcake ; whilst 
scientific men are wary about communicating their observations, 
and risking hostile criticism, until they have satisfied themselves 
whether such minor differences as 48*5 or 52'3, 23 or 27 per 
cent., as the case may be, would best represent the estimate which 
they have formed approximately from the imperfect means of 
investigation at present within their reach. It is in this respect 
amongst others that the Scientific Lecture renders good service, 
* In October Mr. Bond's ewes range the maiden layers and stubbles, and con- 
sume the mangold tops ; in November they have a piece of rape, and eat Swede 
fops on the old pastures ; later, two roomy, well-drained, well-shedded yards are 
provided for SOO ewes, where they receive cut barley, oat, pea, bean, or wheat 
straw, besides fresh-threshed straw, in racks or between hurdles. Every day the 
ewes ramble over an adjoining pasture, where they receive 100 bushels of Swedes 
or mangolds. About a month before lambing rape-cake is added to their diet; 3 
acres of cal)bages are grown for the flock just before and after lambing, and bean- 
meal and oil-cake supplied to the lambs. In this manner 500 ewes are kept on 600 
jicres of cold clay-land. 
