4 BULLETIN 996, U. S. DEPAET^IEXT OF AGBICCXrTBE. 
The amount of grain fed was never less than one-half pound per 
ewe daily: in a few cases it was as much as three-fourths of a pound. 
The grain mixture used is given in Table 1. The gains shown are 
the averages for each lot. each ewe's gain covering the period 
from one to two weeks prior to the dates the rams were first used up 
to the date of the service to which she lambed. 
It was planned to hold the unflushed lots without making any gains 
in weight during the breeding season. Except in the case of Lots 11 
and 14. the pasturage was the same for the flushed and unflushed lots. 
There was considerable irresrularitv in the sains of individual ewes. 
Some of those in the unflushed lots made quite large gains, while 
some in the flushed lots made little or no gain. However, the fact 
of having grain feed may be considered to result in a more highly 
nourished body condition, even if not reflected in gains in weight. 
In all the Vermont flock tests, all lots were run on blue-grass pas- 
tures. All the lots in the Maryland flock were grazed on forage 
crops, soy beans being chiefly used during the breeding season. 
VOIDER OF LAMBS DROPPED. 
An average increase of 1S.1 per cent in the number of lambs dropped 
was obtained as a result of flushing in the experiments here reported. 
This figure applies to 302 iambings of 143 different ewes used in the 
fall breeding seasons of 1916 to 1920, inclusive, and includes the total 
number of lambs dropped, hving or dead, the percentage being based 
on the number of ewes having lambs. 
As shown in Table 1. the smallest result from flushing obtained in 
any one of the separate trials was 3.2 per cent. This was in the case 
of Lots 5 and 6. bred at the Morgan Horse Farm. Middlehury. Vt.. in 
the fall of 1917. Both lots of ewes were in very good condition and 
ran on si mil ar grass pastures. Although fed grain 14 parts corn. 5 
parts bran. 1 part linseed-oil meal at the rate of one-half pound each 
daily, the flushed lot made an average gain of only 6.3 pounds per 
head from September 10 until they were in lamb, while in the corre- 
sponding time the ewes not fed grain gained 4.6 pounds per head. 
The most pi nounced effects of flushing are seen by comparing 
1. : 3 with Lot 4 and Lot 9 with Lots 10 and 11. In the case of Lots 
3 and 4. both of which were in quite low condition when breeding 
commenced, there was an increased gain of 12. 3S pounds in weight in 
the flushed over the unflushed lot and an increase of 30 per cent in 
lambs dropped. In the second instance the 15 unflushed ewes Lot 
gained 3.03 pounds each from September 10 to the time of getting 
in lamb, the average date of which was October 5. This lot produced 
L2 per cent of lambs. During the same time 150 per cent of lambs 
was yielded from a lot of 14 ewes Lot 10) receiving grain, and 145.5 
per cent for 11 ewes Hot 11) kept on sufficiently good pasture to 
cause them to gain 10.96 pounds each from September 10 until in 
lamb, the average date being October 14. 
