58 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January SI, 18£0. 
of thatched hurdles with a little penthouse in one corner, 
formed by laying a thatched hurdle upon two others set 
upright in the ground, under which lay the first lamb with 
the ewe. This enclosure was in a paddock on the south side 
of a thick belt of trees, and the position was the only good 
thing about it. Now this shepherd had assured us that he was 
master of his business, yet he had only thus made use of 
ample means and assistance placed at his disposal. Prompt 
measures were taken after an inspection to provide a proper 
lambing fold in this way :—A circle of ample size to take in 
all the flock was made with unthatched hurdles set upright 
in the ground, a portable swing gate and posts being set in 
the circle of hurdles at the best point for ingress and egress. 
Outside this circle and 2 feet from it came another line of 
hurdles, the space between the hurdles being filled closely with 
straw. Upon the top of this snug enclosure rested the ends of 
thatched hurdles, the other ends being fastened to an inner 
line of posts raised sufficiently high to give an outward slope 
to the roof so as to throw any water falling upon it outside 
the fold. Partitions of thatched hurdles were made snug 
little pens under the roof, and we had only to spread straw 
upon the grass for bedding to render our fold complete. In¬ 
side it there are troughs for mixed food, consisting of chaffed 
hay and Barley straw slightly salted, a little bran, crushed 
Oats, and a liberal mixture of cut Swedes, with racks for Pea 
and Oat straw uncut, of which the ewes are remarkably 
fond. The fold opens into a fine piece of pasture some 
thirty acres in extent, specially reserved for the lambing, and 
the flock will be let out upon it whenever the weather is 
favourable, trough and rack-feeding also being regularly 
practised there. Some very good and commodious racks are 
made there by enclosing the trunks of trees with a few 
hurdles, and filling the space between the hurdles and tree 
with whole straw. The fold and pens will be kept well supplied 
with plenty of fresh dry straw for bedding, and all possible 
care taken to keep the flock as quiet and comfortable as pos¬ 
sible. 
A moderate quantity of cattle Cabbages may be given 
daily if they have been so well stored as to be unfrozen, but 
we strongly deprecate the use either of frozen Cabbage or 
roots, such food tending materially to a loss of vitality, and 
so frequently causing abortion. Ewes should always be 
kept in fair condition, and for a few weeks before the lambs 
are due a full allowance of the diet we have enumerated is 
highly important, because it is then especially that the nutri¬ 
ment afforded by the food goes chiefly to increase the size and 
vigour of the foetus in utero, and not to the fattening of the 
ewe. But it must be remembered that if nourishing food given 
liberally then does not fatten, it certainly strengthens the 
parent, and thus lessens the difficulty of parturition. A 
weakly underfed ewe is in much danger during parturition. 
There is often excessive straining followed by inflammation, 
owing to debility. 
In a well-managed flock most of the ewes pass through 
the lambing quite unscathed, but there are certain cases 
always in which special care is necessary, but there is none 
that ought to prove fatal. We know full well that at one 
time a certain per centage of loss from straining, inflamma¬ 
tion and abortion was regarded as quite within the ordinary 
course of things, but now we know how needless such losses 
are. For all cases of straining the right and safe course of 
action is for the shepherd, if necessary, to extract the lamb 
from the ewe—a little practice soon enables him to do this 
quickly—then to carefully and gently sponge the vagina 
with warm water, and then to apply a mixture of seven 
parts of olive oil, and one part of Calvert’s carbolic acid with 
a female syringe. We use an ordinary pewter syrmge, one, 
or at most two, applications being all that is required, for it 
acts like a charm, and the ewe is free from all violent pain, 
straining ceases, and food is soon taken again. Violent 
straining sometimes causes protrusion of the uterus, espe¬ 
cially in old ewes. We never allow sheep so affected to 
breed again, and if the protrusion is excessive a piece of stout 
twine is passed round it as high up as possible and tied 
tightly. The ewe apparently suffers neither pain nor incon 
venience, and in a short time it decays and falls off; the 
ewe is then fattened and passed on to the butcher. Swollen 
udder seldom occurs, but it may do if a ewe loses its lamb 
and it cannot be induced to take another. The remedy is 
as simple as it is efficient. Equal quantities of Eau de 
Cologne and olive oil poured into the palm of the hand and 
rubbed gently and persistently over the swollen udder soon, 
softens it, so that the milk can be drawn from it, and there 
is very little if any subsequent difficulty. 
With care, gentleness, and watchfulness, success should 
attend our charge. Results now, however, are undoubtedly 
influenced by our treatment of the ewes throughout the year. 
An undue strain was put upon many a flock last summer 
owing to a want of grass upon the meadows, or owing also 
to the lambs being kept late with the ewes. We cannot 
venture upon such rash measures with impunity, and it is 
probable that there will be weakly lambs and losses among 
ewes now in such flocks. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Advantage has been taken of the frosty weather to cart manure on to 
the land not yet to be ploughed, but to be put into large heaps and 
covered with soil to he ready for the root crops. We cling to the use of 
farmyard manure for roots because of the moisture as well as nutriment 
which it affords the young and growing plants, enabling them as it does 
to pass unscathed through periods of drought to which they would other¬ 
wise succumb. But we only use enough of it to fill the space immediately 
below the roots, the soil generally being enriched with artificial manure. 
The cows and young stock always to be found upon the home farm 
afford a supply. On other farms it is with pigs and not bullocks that we 
manufacture our manure for roots, for bullocks have so seriously fallen 
off in value that it is only very choice well-bred beasts that grow fast 
and come to early maturity that answer now. Some writers hopefully 
predict better times, but we as yet fail to see upon what their calculations 
are based. 
We continue passing pigs in large numbers quickly through our yards. 
Most of them enter as store pigs and pass out again in a few weeks as 
porkers, plump, compact, and fit for the butcher. Breed tells very much 
in this work, compact chubby animals being much more profitable than 
those of larger frames. These latter are held in reserve for bacon hogs, 
and they are forced on quickly, for we have no faith in keeping them, 
or, in fact, any animals kept for profit a day longer than is necessary. 
Pig-keeping and dairy farming generally answer well, and a certain 
number of pigs should always be kept with the dairy herd on the home 
farm. We have increased our number of pigs this winter to meet an 
emergency. So much Barley was exposed to heavy rain after it was 
ripe that the grain became discoloured and prices ruled low—so low that 
it became evident it would answer our purpose to convert as much of the 
inferior grain into pork as we could, and so dispose of it. No special, 
breed need be recommended for this purpose. There are plenty of good 
local-bred pigs everywhere to be had if we search for them, so that there 
need be no special outlay to procure good ones. It is for this, among 
other reasons, that pig-keeping may be taken up or left off with such 
profitable celerity. The matter may be one of weeks or months only. 
Nor need we go to the expense of building model Btys for them ; shelter 
from rain, plenty of clean straw, and good wholesome food being all they 
require. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 32'40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
P 
as 
« 
1886. 
January. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 328 
and Sea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
Temp, of 
Soil at 
l toot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max 
Min 
In 
sun. 
On 
gras* 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
d*e. 
deg. 
deg 
In. 
Sunday . 
30.088 
32.2 
31.4 
N. 
37.1 
36.2 
29.2 
46.9 
25.4 
0.207- 
Monday . ... 
11 
29.766 
37.6 
87.2 
S.E. 
368 
39.2 
31.7 
40.3 
30.9 
0.112 
Tuesday. 
12 
30.144 
29.5 
28.8 
N. 
36.3 
38 9 
28.7 
58.2 
25.6 
0.206 
Wednesday . 
13 
29.310 
42.6 
42.3 
S.W. 
36 0 
44.2 
29.1 
51.2 
30.7 
0.170 
Thursday ... 
14 
29.819 
38.3 
35.5 
N. 
36.3 
41.3 
34.9 
67.4 
29.6 
— 
Friday. 
15 
29.821 
40.3 
39.0 
S.W. 
36.2 
46 8 
3'.8 
51.2 
24.8 
0.182 
Saturday ... 
16 
29.720 
33.8 
32.2 
w. 
37.2 
47.1 
32.4 
63.8 
27.7 
0.294 
29.667 
36.3 
35.2 
36.6 
42.0 
31.0 
54.1 
27.8 
1.171 
REMARKS. 
10 th.—Fair early, slight fog in afternoon, and a little snow from 6 P.M.; total depth at 
9 P.M. half an inch. 
11 th.—Damp and rainy all day, thawing, cold clear night. 
12 th.—Bright, fine, and frosty morning ; cloudy afternoon, with a little snow ; rain in 
evening; wet night. 
13th.—Wet early ; westerly squall at 10.45 A.M., with heavy sleet and rain; fair afternoon. 
14th.—Windy and cloudy till 11 A.M., fine and bright after. 
15th.—Dull morning, wet afternoon and evening, fine clear night, 
10th—Fine and fresh : squally in evening, with rain at 10 P M., and heavy rain at 10.30 P.M. 
Very changeable week, with rain, snow, and sleet, and sharp changes of barometer. 
—G. SYMONS. 
