276 
Farm  Prize  Competition,  1909. 
are  weaned,  about  the  middle  of  May,  at  which  time  the  lambs 
will  be  eating  1 lb.  per  head  of  a mixture  of  linseed  cake, 
split  beans,  split  peas,  and  locust  bean  meal.  The  lambs 
have  the  run  of  the  front  fold  of  roots  from  the  time  they 
commence  to  eat  until  they  are  weaned,  care  being  taken  to 
have  them  shut  back  in  the  fold  at  night  to  prevent  them 
eating  any  green  food  while  the  frost  is  on  it.  Cribs  of  fresh 
hay  are  put  in  the  folds  for  the  ewes  each  morning  and 
afternoon.  As  soon  as  the  lambs  are  weaned  the  ewe  lambs 
are  taken  out  from  the  ram  lambs  and  given  | lb.  of  a mixture 
of  equal  parts  linseed  cake  and  cotton  cake.  The  ram  lambs 
are  then  examined  and  the  faulty  ones  castrated  and 
sold  early  in  July,  many  weighing  from  8 to  9 butcher’s 
stones  (64  to  72  lb.)  each. 
The  ram  lambs  are  allowed  such  quantity  of  mixed  linseed 
cake,  split  peas  and  beans,  and  locust  bean  meal  as  they  can 
eat,  which  is  about  2 lb.  per  head  per  day,  with  rye  or  Italian 
rye-grass,  vetches  or  rape  or  cabbage  (catch  crops),  which  are 
fed  off  in  rotation  after  the  swedes  and  kale  are  finished  towards 
the  end  of  April.  The  lambs  have  cake  until  they  go,  and  the 
ewes  until  after  they  are  shorn,  when  the  lambs  are  weaned. 
Ewes  are  always  allowed  access  to  water  at  all  seasons  of  the 
year.  Rock  salt  is  always  supplied  for  all  sheep.  The  regular 
draft  ewes  are  sold  at  Salisbury  Great  Fair  in  July,  and  the 
ram  lambs  at  Britford  Fair,  August  12,  and  Wilton  Fair, 
September  12. 
The  situation  of  the  lambing  pen  is  carefully  considered 
beforehand,  and  is  immediately  connected  with  the  cropping 
of  the  land  so  as  to  ensure  the  proximity  of  grass, 
straw,  roots,  and  hay.  The  actual  site  is  chosen  early  in  the 
year  and  the  hay  and  corn  stacked  thereon.  The  wheat  rick  is 
so  placed  that  when  threshed  the  straw  stack  will  be  in  the 
centre.  The  plan  of  the  lambing  pen  will  show  how  the  ewes 
and  lambs  are  worked  through  the  pen.  The  hurdles  are  6 ft. 
long  and  3 ft.  6 in.  in  height.  They  are  “ wattled  ” hurdles 
made  of  hazel  wood  by  one  of  Mr.  Waters’  men.  They  are 
made  on  a wooden  lath  slightly  curved  C! -rJ  so  that  the 
hurdles  become  tighter  as  they  are  straightened  in  use.  The 
hurdles  are  supported  by  stakes  driven  into  the  ground. 
To  construct  the  lambing  pen  the  folds  are  measured  out 
and  wheat  straw  put  down  about  3 or  4 in.  in  thickness,  on 
which  hurdles  are  set  up.  Another  lot  of  hurdles  are 
then  set  up  alongside  the  first  and  straw  put  between 
them.  Piles  and  rails  are  then  put  up  about  2 ft.  from  the 
upright  hurdles,  and  hurdles  laid  on  top  of  the  rails  to 
reach  the  upright  hurdles,  after  which  they  are  thatched  and 
sewn  down  with  string  and  green  rods.  The  farm  is  well 
