j^heej) Hitfilrantlrw. 
ENGLISH METHOD OF HURDLING SHEEP. 
The accompanying illustration shows how 
an Englishman fed his sheep on an irrigated 
pasture, by the use of hurdles of a peculiar 
description. They are twelve feet long and 
are made with a stout pole bored with two 
series of holes twelve inches apart. 
Stakes six feet long are put into 
these holes so that they project 
from them three feet on each 
side of the pole. One series of 
holes is bored in a direction at 
right-angles to that of the other, 
and when the stakes are all prop- - - - 
erly placed they form u hurdle, VllJ. 
the end of which looks like the 
letter X. | 
The engraving shows how these 
hurdles are made and the method mShjk 
of using them. A row of these |rajj||[ 
hurdles is placed across the field. 
The field in which they are used 
consists of six acres. A strip of 
ten feet wide is thus set off, upon \JixSt 1 
which four hundred sheep feed. V/ a 
T hey eat up all the grass upon VAA# 
this strip and that which they can V V jL 
reach by putting their heads 
through the hurdles. The hurdles fx'*- 
are then turned over, exposing \ ZHfrM , 
another strip of rather more than ■txyfljfti 
four feet wide at each turn. When 
this is fed off, the hurdles are 
again turned over. The chevaux- 
dtt-frixe presented by the hurdles 
prevents any trespassing upon the 
other side of them, and by using 
two rows of hurdles the sheep are 
kept in the narrow Btrip between them. Their 
droppings are very evenly spread over the 
field, and it is richly fertilized by them.. At 
night tho sheep are taken off and the grass 
is watered. The growth is one inch per day 
under this treatment, and when the field has 
been fed over, the sheep are brought back 
again to the starting point and commence 
once more eating their way along. 
- *-*--♦ - 
THE PRACTICAL SHEPHERD. 
Some years since I read this book; again I 
have it in my possession, and the same opin¬ 
ion recurs with more force that what Mr. 
Randall writes from his own unbiased 
judgment is ten times more sensible than 
what he quoted from Spooner & Youatt; 
for, although an Englishman who has been 
accused of John Bull partiality for every¬ 
thing English, yet the stupid nonsense about 
the diseases of sheep and the weak allusions 
to operations would disgust any genuinely 
practical shepherd ; and any mau having 
had charge of docks and understanding 
sheep husbandry, would at ouce see that, 
however graceful may be the writing, and 
however much erudition may be exhibited, 
the copious abundance of folly completely 
sickens the mind of an experienced farmer. 
I had as much experience in sheep hus¬ 
bandry in Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Glou¬ 
cestershire aud Worcesters as any mau in 
either of those counties, and some in other 
counties too; and 1 deny the knowledge or 
existence of half the diseases; aud as for 
doctoring or even thinking of doing aught 
for half the remaining maladies, no good 
farmer would allow his shepherd to idle 
before I left England all tho best ilock-mas- 
ters kept their sheep in such good condition 
that there would not be one which was not 
good mutton; consequently whenever one 
of them ailed thero was no hesitation in the 
case, as tlie shepherd being used to dressing 
sheep, he would do so, and as the disease 
would not have time to taint the meat, be¬ 
cause every field where sheep are iB visited 
twice per day. The mutton is marketable, 
and is often used at home, part perhaps 
strong demand for scouring works growing 
up. The question of washing the wool on the 
sheep is not discussed, but a correspondent 
of rhe Colorado Agriculturist makes sugges¬ 
tions, similar to those which are found in the 
California paper* on the same subject. Ho 
says :—We are much in need of some more 
profitable manner of disposing of our wool 
than is-afforded at present. As it now is, 
for every hundred pounds of fleece wool, we 
send to market forty pounds of dirt. We 
Eisrca-i^isn method o 
bought by some of the workmen. Another 
advaniage in this mode of proceedure is that 
thus every animal in a ilock with tendency 
to disease is weeded out. 
With regard to the English liver rot 
(flukes), there is no cure; but it can be 
avoided by not grazing low meadows, and 
the foot rot and scub can bo cured easily; 
but they rarely affect well cared for Hocks. 
The greatest drawback to Improvement 
in flocks in the United States is the habit of 
selling the ewe lambs, which are tho fattest 
and best when the butcher comes round, or 
when the farmer himself sends a lot to mar¬ 
ket, and as early maturity and a fine, 
healthy frame is so desirable, it is as foolish 
to thus destroy the future best breeding 
ewes us on the other hand to attempt the 
cure of sickly sheep aud continue to keep 
them in the flock. 
Tho experiments in feeding sheep on roots, 
&c., weighed to them, which are quoted in 
this book, are worthy of attention, ajid they 
prove the little that is known about feeding 
sheep iu some parts of this country ; and 
every now and then will be seen advice 
P HURDLING QRUE EP. the feet and scratching their ears 
and eyes with the hind foot. The 
not only pay freight on this dirt, but we pay lambs are from two to three months old 
commission men for selling it. It is estimated and weigh from 25 to 4U pounds. 1 discover 
that States’ wool shrinks fifty per cent, in nothing wrong among the ewes ; they have 
scouring, but Colorado wool only thirty to been housed nights iu a dry cellar with dry 
forty per cent., on account of the small litter; dimensions of cellai’, 1(5 by 30 feet, and 
quantity of grease in it. 28 sheep; ventillated by leaving open a hole 
Fleece wool is sold under disadvantages, 3 by IU feet; they have been fed on salt hay 
because one manufacturer cannot use all the and fresh hay with turnips, regularly, twice 
different qualities in a single fleece, so that a day through the winter; no corn until 
in order to get what he wants he must buy about the middle of March. Up to this 
much that he does not want, and take the time, regularly, twice a day, they have had 
chances of disposing of the latter to some nearly a peek a day. If you can put me in a 
one who does want it. When a man buys iu way to cure the sick oues and prevent the 
tho fleece, he must not only guess ut how spread of the disease, you will very much 
much wool each fleece contains that he does oblige—A Subscriber. 
want, but also how much dirt it contains, We do uot know what the trouble with 
and every good buyer, after guessing as your lambs is, unless it be the scab, which it 
closely as possible, will still allow margin probably is. You should separate the dis- 
enough to make himself safe. eased lambs from the rest of the flock at 
It would be too expensive for each wool once; for if it is the scab it is infectious, 
grower to scour his own wool, even if ha Then cut off the wool so far as the skin feels 
knew how to sort it, which is as necessary, hard or scabby; wash the scabby portion 
Same lot. ncoarod, would leave 600 lbs.,) «n„ n 
worth, say 00c... { 
I.esa for scouring, say 5o. $50 
do. freight and commission, 5c. 30—80 280 
Balance in favor of scouring. ... fSO 
Most of our wools would not shrink so 
much as tho above estimate in scouring, and 
would sell for ut least double the price of 
unwashed wool poobably more—as the ex¬ 
amination of any wool market report will 
show. 
Let the wool growers pledge their support 
for one season, in order to test it, 
and doubtless parties can be found 
to undertake this wool scouring 
business. 
WHAT AILS MY LAMBS 1 
r j In the spring of 1873 I had one 
lamb iu my flock sick from some 
disease. Symptoms were as' fol- 
■saps"? lows :—The eyes became red and 
inflamed and soon began to run 
thick, heavy matter; the lids of 
the eyes seemed to thicken and 
MBS', scab up; the wool came off round 
the eyes and the ears also got sore 
^ 1 ^, 1 ' and scabby, and, lastly, the wool 
all came off the head and finally 
' k the lamb died. Tins spring I have 
four in tho sarno condition. One 
of these four lias a spot on the 
rump gambrels and knees about 
as big as a cent, where the wool is 
off, and a dry, black scab in the 
place of it ; the nose becomes dry 
and scabby; the nostrils seem to 
be contracted or pinched ; they 
suffer from pain or an itching 
Hf« sensation ; they are continually 
shaking the head, stamping with 
the feet and scratching their ears 
and eyes with the hind foot. The 
lambs are from two to three months old 
and weigh from 25 to 40 pounds. I discover 
nothing wrong among the ewes ; they have 
been housed nights iu a dry cellar with dry 
litter; dimensions of cellar, 10 by 30 feet, and 
28 sheep; ventillated by leaving open a hole 
2 by 10 feet; they have been fed on salt hay 
and fresh hay with turnips, regularly, twice 
a day through the winter; no corn until 
about the middle of March. Up to this 
Lime, regularly, twice a day, they have had 
nearly a peek a day. If you can put me in a 
way to cure the sick oues and prevent the 
spread of the disease, you will very much 
oblige— A Subscriber. 
We do uot know what tho trouble with 
your lambs is, unless it be the scab, which it 
probably is. You should separate the dis¬ 
eased lambs from the rest of the flock at 
once; for if it is the scab it is infectious. 
Then cut off the wool so far a* the skin feels 
this book, are worthy of attention, and they as the scouring. But an establishment of 
prove the little that is known about feeding sufficient capacity to sort and scour all the 
sheep iu some parts of this country ; and wools in the neighborhood would doubtless 
every now and then will be seen advice he profitable, both to the proprietors and ila 
given in leading agricultural papers which, patrons. Such an establishment would re- 
after reading the Practical Shepherd, gives 
the reader an insight into the knowledge of 
the advisers. 
In conclusion, it is my firm belief that 
every farmer ought to keep sheep, and those 
who do so for the first time should by all 
means obtain the aforesaid book. 
A Working Farmer, 
-♦♦♦- 
WOOL 8C0URING WORKS. 
Wool is not washed on the sheep’s back 
away his time attending to them; for long 1 in California and Colorado, but there 
ceive fleece wool in sacks, sort the different 
qualities from each fleece, then scour and 
re-sack each quality by itself. Much wool 
could be sold by sample, as the buyer would 
know that he was getting all wool and just 
what he could give for it. The only question 
with him would be, which quality he should 
buy to suit his cards. Middlemen might also 
be dispensed with, and the wool sold directly 
to the maaufacturer. 
Take an example: 
1,000 lbs. unwashed wool at Chicago, say 30c.1300 
Less freight aud commission, oc. 50 
with soapsuds, rubbing it hard with a shoe¬ 
brush,- so as to cleanse and brush the scab. 
Then rnukc u decoction of tobacco to which 
acid, by measure, one-third the quantity of 
the lye of wood ashes, with as much hogs’ 
lard as will be dissolved by the lye, a small 
quantity of tar from the tat* bucket which 
Contains grease, and about one-eighth of the 
whole, by measure, of spirits of turpentine. 
This is to be rubbed on the part affected and 
a little distance around it, in three washings, 
with an interval of three days each. This is 
| Chancellor Livingston’s remedy, as given 
in the “ Practical Shepherd,” and he says he 
has never failed to cure it in this way, when 
tne disease was only partial. Perhaps shep¬ 
herds among our readers can give a better 
remedy. Let it be understood that we are 
always glad to hear from shepherds. 
NEW YORK, AND ROCHESTER, N. Y„ MAY 16, 1874. 
( PRICE SIX CENTS. 
I 82.50 PER YEAR. 
[Entered according to Act of Congress. In the year 1874, by the Rural Publishing Company, in tho office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.] 
VOL. XXIX. No. ‘AO. I 
WHOLE No. 1208. I 
