The Management of a Shorthorn Herd. 
427 
opinion exist. As turnips are larg-ely used for sheep, it may be 
useful to quote from one or two competent authorities upon 
sheep-management. Mr. Henry Woods, of Merton, in his 
Lecture on the ' Diseases of Sheep ' (published as a pamphlet), 
page 35, referring to abortion in a flock of ewes, says : " Feeding 
will, I believe, be found to be the main cause, especially feeding 
on turnips, as is done on some of our large flock farms ;" and he 
considers that " we do not give sufficient dry food to counteract 
the evil effects of turnip-feeding." He is here alluding to the 
practice of " feeding our ewes icholhj on turnips." Mr. Woods 
also introduces his impression about the effect of turnips grown 
from superphosphate of lime used as manure. But this opens 
up too wide a question for discussion here. I have asked of 
several sheep-breeders, in various parts of the country, their 
experience of the effects of feeding in-lamb ewes upon turnips. 
As their answers seem to throw some light upon the subject as 
regards cattle, and to suggest how and why tui'nips may be 
dangerous food, I will introduce one or two of their remarks. 
The first of the following extracts is from the letter of a member 
of the Council of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, 
well known as a breeder of Shorthorn cattle and Oxfordshire 
Down sheep — Mr. Charles Howard, of Biddenham. " We avoid 
as much as possible putting sheep upon turnips previous to 
lambing, as we do not consider them healthy food. I have 
known ewes when fed for some time on turnips bring dead 
lambs, but, as a rule, they go their full time. The lambs are 
suffocated by too much water, produced by the turnips, accumu- 
lating in the womb. I should advise that ewes, previous to 
lambing, be run upon grass ; but when this is not practicable, 
and turnips must be used, they should have a plentiful supply 
ot dry food, corn and cake. I do not think that cows in-calf 
would be injured by a moderate supply of roots." Mr. Thomas 
Bushby, the Southdown breeder, of West Preston Manor, in 
Sussex, says : " I think it would be very difficult to cause abor- 
tion by genuine feeding. My experience has been that frosted 
turnips are dangerous without dry food, and that no animal 
should come upon turnips very empty, or ravenous for food. 
Doubtless indigestion is a great cause of abortion, and indi- 
gestion is caused by the animals being over-fed at one time, 
and under-fed at another ; so that the animal is sometimes 
very hungry, and, after feeding, cannot digest its food. Many 
persons have an impression that sheep may have too many 
turnips before lambing. I think the danger is from this want 
of discretion in the feeder. Regularity to five minutes should 
be strictly observed ; and the manger should always be cleared 
up ; that is, that the animal should not be over-fed, and after 
