Oh the Breeding, Feeding, ^-c. of Sheq^. 
365 
It is also highly necessary to keep the ewes well, and they 
should have some dry food, either corn, hay, or clover chaff, at 
least three weeks or a month before lambing, to force their milk 
and keep them in a healthy state, or there will in many cases be 
much loss with the young lambs. Before I kept my ewes well I 
lost many lambs when young, it being my usual custom to keep 
them on Swede turnips, A few years ago I determined to keep 
them better, by giving them with the turnips plenty of good hay 
every day for three or four weeks before they lambed. I tried 
this plan with the first 1 00 ewes that were to lamb, and I scarcely 
lost a lamb out of the 100 ewes. The next lot of 100 ewes weie 
kept on Swedes, which had been eaten off to pecking during a 
snow by other sheep, the ewes eating the part pecked up without 
any other food, and the consequence was that a great many of the 
lambs died. They generally came alive, but died in two or three 
days afterwards, being weak and unhealthy in their appearance. 
I lost as many as five or six lambs a-day sometimes, and I believe 
from no other cause than not keeping their dams well before lamb- 
ing ; those lambs which lived did not thrive well being short of 
milk : it is of little use to keep them well after lambing if the milk 
is not forced before. When a lamb dies, and another is intended to 
replace it, I let the dead lamb remain with the ewe for about a day 
before it is removed ; it is then skinned, and the skin is fastened 
on the lamb which is intended to be put to the ewe, which may 
be fitted very well if the skin is taken off the lamb by a skilful 
hand. The lamb being then put to the ewe, she will generally 
take to it in a few hours if confined in a small space. 
Dipping lambs in the summer in a composition of arsenic and 
soft soap is become very general, and I believe is very advantageous to 
the lambs' progress ; this should be done early in May, as the lambs 
will suffer much from the ticks if delayed until they are weaned, 
which often is not before July. Care should be taken to have the 
mixture from a druggist. I have known much loss from dipping 
where people have mixed the composition themselves. As the ex- 
pense is trifling, I would recommend that the lambs should be 
dipped a second time when they are taken from the ewes, so that 
they may be clean from ticks during the winter. I never found it 
to be the least injurious to my lambs, but think they appear to 
thrive much better after it. 
Much difference of opinion exists as to the proper time for 
weaning lambs. No Inconvenience would arise from weaning 
early in the season, provided the lambs have good, proper, and 
sufficient keep ; this I proved in the year 18-37. I weaned a few 
lambs on the 10th of June, weighed them, and after they had re- 
mained a few days on the land they were accustomed to, I took 
them to a pasture of sainfoin ; some green tares and water were 
