Sheep 
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RAISING WINTER LAMBS. 
NO BETTER MANURE MACHINE 
can be desired than ewes for winter lamb- 
rearing on Ibis high-pressure system, In order 
to force the lambs to their greatest weight and 
the most desirable condition of fatness, large 
quautitiesof rich foods—those rich in nitrogen, 
and phosphates especially—must be fed, and 
as but a small proportion of these ingredients 
is assimilated by the sheep—the manure made, 
of necessity contains a large proportion of 
these very expensive ingredients. One who 
had been accustomed to the use of what is 
commonly called barn-yard manure—the mass 
of wet straw, with asprinkliug of cattle drop¬ 
pings from animals eating, aside from the 
straw, only a scanty ration of coarse swamp 
or Timothy hay, with perhaps an ocacsional 
nubbin of corn—would be very agreeably 
surprised to see the wonderful effect of an 
equal dressing of this manure taken from the 
stables and spread directly upon the fields. So 
rich is it in nitrogen (ammonia) that in the 
Fall when drawing what has lain there all 
Summer for dressing the wheat land, no man 
can remain in a close base pent long enough 
to pitch more than one load npon the wagons 
without going into the open air, and this, 
when a supply of gypsum is kept on hand and 
freely scattered about between each load. 
We have repeatedly tried the experiment of 
placing a small pile to the windward or some 
stout thistle,and not nearer than one foot from 
the plant, to see it killed entirely to the ground 
within a couple of hours. 
lu comparison with the yard manure bought 
in the cities and towns, which is largely shav¬ 
ings, tan bark or straw, we consider one 
load of this sheep manure worth at least three 
of that which is bought. 
ITS CONDITION OF FINENESS 
is also another element of great superiority. 
The sheep masticate everything so fine that no 
one need fear any germin&tiou of foul seeds 
that have passed through them, and except the 
straw and coarse stalks of hay and corn fodder 
which it contains, the manure is almost as 
soluble as the beat brand of commercial fer¬ 
tilizers, and is at once available as food for 
any crop to which it may be applied. In 
this respect it is superior to manure made 
by cattle, horses, or hogs; in fact, there is 
nothing superior to it on the farm, except the- 
contents of the hen house or privy vault, and 
even these must be well cared for to excel 
well handled sheep manure. 
HOW TO TREAT THE MANURE 
is the question asked by more than a dozen 
readers, and very properly, for if allowed to 
heat no manure is more injured. When 
the sheep are put into the barns, each pen is 
well littered with straw, and this packs down 
on the bottom, forming a sort of lining on 
which the manure rests, and comiug up nicely 
when the pens are cleaned; and twice each 
day, just before grain feeding, the racks are 
cleaned and any straw, or the haulms of the 
bay or other fodder, are evenly scattered over 
the pens. These, mixing with the droppings 
aud urine of the sheep, pack so closely that, 
during the time when trampled over each day 
by tbe sheep, there is no fermentation with 
its consequent formation and escape of am¬ 
monia. In our barns, if from ary cause such 
fermentation should begin, as soon as the smell 
of the escaping gas is discovered, a search is 
made for tbe heating spot, and a hose is at¬ 
tached to tbe water pipe, and water is run on 
until the heat is subdued and fermentation 
stopped. 
THE MANURE IS DRAWN 
clean from each pen about twice each Winter. 
To clean a pen, the sheep are removed into an 
empty one, or run into the alley, and the man¬ 
ure is pitched out of a window, or into the 
alley upon barrows, or boats provided for that 
purpose, and drawn or wheeled out-of-doors. 
As soon as it Is removed, the pen is again 
littered, and the sheep are driven back to their 
quarters The manure, as fa-t us put out-of- 
doors, aud before it bus time to freeze, is 
drawn to the field, and at once scattered over 
the surface where desired for spring use, unless 
perchance the snow is too deep or the ground 
such as is liable to be flooded in tbe Spring. 
We have often tried the experiment, aud are 
satisfied that on land not subject to overflow, 
*nd ou sod ground especially, one load of man¬ 
ure drawn and scattered during Winter is 
worth as much, judging from its effects ou 
tbe crops, as two loads, equally large, spread 
just before the ground is to be plowed in the 
Spring. 
The manure made after the second cleaning 
of the pens is left where made, to be used on 
laud designed for wheat, and is drawn and 
scattered just previous to seeding. It is tramped 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
so hard and compact by the sheep that it 
seldom heats, or ferments so rapidly as to be 
endangered by Are fanging. The fences are 
removed, and the racks all snugly piled up 
soon after removing tbe sheep, and the base¬ 
ments used during Sommer as a night-run for 
the cows, and if at any time the smell of am¬ 
monia should indicate too rapid fermentation, 
search is at once instituted, and when the spot 
is found, water, as before described, is run 
ou until the beat Is subdued, and tbe burning 
prevented. After tbe ground for wheat is 
plowed the last time, the manure is drawn and 
scattered directly from tbe wagons, at the rate 
of ahout eight or ten loads per acre, and by 
repeated harrowing and cultivating, it is 
worked intimately into the surface soil, and 
not more than two inches deep. 
When it is desirable to fit this manure for 
spreading with a spreader, it can be easily 
done by throwing it into piles in tbe base¬ 
ments two or three days before it i3 to be 
drawn to the field; or it can be drawn to the 
fields and there piled for two or three days. 
The fermentation induced in either case will 
warm it up and cause tbe breaking down of 
any lumps or scales that may have lasted 
through the Summer; but in no case should it 
be allowed to lie very long in such piles unless 
thoroughly saturated with moisture and the 
surface well covered with soil, or with gyp¬ 
sum, as it will ferment very rapidly, and tbe 
great heat will drive off a large part of its 
nitrogen. 
ONE DOLLAR PER LOAD 
is a very moderate price at which to figure 
such manure for application to the fields for 
the growing of corn, potatoes, roots or any of 
the sowed grains, aud it is no more than fair 
to credit this amount to the profits of winter- 
lamb raising. 
We have thus very fully and plainly given 
the whole story of winter lamb raising as 
practiced on the Rural’s Western New York 
Farm, and if we have failed to make any point 
as plain as desirable, we shall be only too 
glad to be informed of the fact. We have 
now a nice lot of ewes, and tbe little beau'ies 
are putting in an appearance at this very early 
season. We have already over 20 with the 
fair prospect of having several times as many 
prior to New Year’s. We can only account 
for this year’s early fecundity by the remark¬ 
ably cool Summer which we have had. We 
shall commence at once to grain the ewes, and 
also tbe lambs as soon us they will eat, so as 
to have quite a number ready for market as 
early as New Year’s. 
We shall next take up the subject of winter 
feeding of last Spring’s lambs. 
BLACK-FACED RAM “SEVENTY-TWO.” 
The Black-faced Scotch sheep is undoubted¬ 
ly the oldest breed in Seotlaud, if not in Great 
Britain, as it is known to have existed several 
centuries ago; but, as in the case of all other 
old breeds that have persisted until our day. 
considerable improvements have been made 
in it, as agriculture has advanced. It is a 
horned breed, the horns of the ram being 
quite massive and spirally curved; the face 
aud legs are black, the eye is bright and the 
body square aud compact, with good quarters 
and a broad saddle. The animal is small aud 
the wool rather hairy, the weight of tbe car¬ 
cass averaging about 155 pounds when three 
years old, and that of the washed fleece about 
three pounds. The mutton is of excellent 
quality with a peculiarly fine flavor; aud the 
wool is well adapted to the manufacture of 
coarse cloths, carpets, blankets and rugs. 
Black-faced sheep are active, muscular and 
very hardy, having been for centuries accus¬ 
tomed to the privations of life inseparable 
from exposure at all seasons upon the bleak 
and storm-beaten mountains of Caladonia. 
They instinctively anticipate the advent of a 
storm, and seek lower ground and shelter, 
often a day or two before it arrives. Daring 
snow storms they instinctively herd together, 
and when completely buried by tbe drifts, 
they manage to pick up a livelihood on the 
scanty herbage until the shepherd finds and 
releases them. For mountain sheep they are 
very docile and are easily cared for with the 
help of a collie dog: though they can shift for 
themselves pretty well in emergencies. T^ey 
are kept in large flocks, sometimes of several 
thousands. The ewes are excellent and very 
affectionate mothers, and the lambs survive 
an amount of cold and hunger that would be 
fatal to tbe young of any other breed. Tbe 
breed can be improved in size and fleece by 
better conditions and a judicious breeder; but 
it thrives best under the conditions to which 
it has been immemorially exposed; and a 
change of surroundings would, doubtless, 
cause it soon to lose the qualities which con¬ 
stitute its chief value. Over 40 years ago 
several importations of the breed were made 
into this country, but other breeds, with 
larger bodies, and heavier and finer fleeces 
and adapted to a wider range of conditions, 
have attracted so much attention that the 
Black faced sheep have been neglected, al¬ 
though well adapted to exposed mountain 
localities and the unsheltered plains of the 
Northwest. 
At Fig. 472 we give an illustration of a very 
fine specimen of this breed, re engraved from 
one of an excellent series of original portraits 
appearing in our esteemed contemporary, the 
London Live Stock Journal. It is the Black¬ 
faced ram “Seventy-Two,” the property of 
Mr. Charles Gawatson, of Glenbuck, North 
Britain, whose flock is thought the best of this 
breed in existence. “In size, character, con¬ 
formation, wealth of wool, and meat, he is 
equally remarkable; as nearly perfect as 
could very well be attained.” He has had a 
unique and unbroken show-yard experience, 
having won five first and champion prizes at 
the shows of the Highland aud Agricultural 
Society of Scotland, in lsSS, 1884 and 1885 
2I)C l)cvi>smatt. 
AMERICAN FAT STOCK AND DAIRY 
SHOW. 
No exhibition connected with live stock in 
this country has seemed to me more interest¬ 
ing and valuable than tbe Fat Stock Shows 
annually held at Chicago. There is reason to 
believe the seventh show, to be held from 
November 10 to November 19, will be more 
valuable than any former one. Nowhere else 
cau such good specimens of so many breeds 
and crosses of meat-producing breeds be seen 
together. This year a special feature will be 
an exhibition of dairy stock and dairy 
products. Large premiums are offered for 
these as well as for fat stock. Most of the 
prominent national livestock associations bold 
their aunual meetings at Chicago during this 
show. The auuual meeting of the National 
Cattle-Growers’ Association aud of tbe 
National Butter, Cheese and Egg Association 
should be of interest to very many. Why 
say this I Because I would be glad to see 
many more farmers from the Eastern and 
Middle States at this show and these meetings 
than 1 have found ia former years; and I be¬ 
lieve they would find it a pleasant and profit¬ 
able trip. G. E. MORROW. 
For some months horse sharners have been 
campaigning in Boston and have, from the 
number of complaints laid against them, been 
reaping a rich harvest from innocent country¬ 
men in and about the city. So skillfully have 
tbe rogues carried on thpir bnsiuess that tbe 
officers have found It bard work to get a case 
against them, more especially tor the reason 
that the dupes, either through shame or the 
return of a part of the money taken from 
them, refused to prosecute the swindlers in 
court, Sometimes half a dozen victims a day 
turned up at police headquarters, atlwitb stories 
of wonderful simi'aritv, which go to show 
that the sharps have organized for the pur¬ 
pose of systematic swindling. The same kind 
of swindle is constantlv going on in this city, 
and indeed in all large cities and towns 
throughout tbe country. We frequently see 
accounts of the rascality in the papers of this 
place, and did we as constantly read those of 
other cities, we would doubtless find as many 
there in proportion to the population The 
modus operctvdi of the Boston rogues is thus 
described in a letter from the “Hub”: 
“A weekaeo a dune of the rascals brought 
the attention of the Chief of Police to his ex¬ 
perience at tbe bands of a gang who bad made 
their headquarters a* ‘a private gentleman's 
stable’io t he rear of No. 18 Lvude Street The 
victim was William B Mead, a well-to-do 
farmer from Lisbon. N. H., who asserted that 
he was swindled out of *200. Twowpeksago, 
his dangh’er's sixteenth birthday drawing 
near, he determined to give her a gentle trot¬ 
ting horse. He came to Boston to bay the 
beast and fell into the hands of this crowd, one 
of whom piloted him to a stable in Lvnde 
8treet. where be saw a specimen of horseflesh 
which was ‘warranted to be all that could be 
desired.’ His euide. who gave his name as 
Guver. declared tbat tbe horse had been used 
by bis sixteen veer old sister in New York for 
riding and driving, and said tbat the animal 
was so gentle and kind as often to carrv his 
revered father home, 'even though the latter 
was too drunk to drive.’ 
Guver offered to give Mead a warranty hill 
of sale and this settled it. Mead paid *25 
down and borrowed the rest, *175, from his 
cousin in the form of a check. The horse was 
shipped to hia home, and when Mead reached 
there be was astonished at the reputation his 
purchase bad ma<i a . He learned that when 
the beast reached WoodviHe it had succeeded 
in kicking a box car to splinters. A few days 
after it demolished the buggy it was hitched 
to and came near killing Miss Mead, she nar¬ 
rowly escaping a kick aimed at her h^ad. 
Mead felt had. His neighbors laughed at him 
and his “trotter.” He next tried the brute on 
his farm, when it knocked a thrashing ma- 
maebine into kindliDg wood. 
This was enough. Mead got mad and com¬ 
municated with the officers, who during the 
last four days have occupied the Rev. Mr. 
Bartol’s Church, from tbe windows of which 
they have had an unobstructed view of the 
alleged gang. The whole gang was spotted 
and captured. Tbe men gave their names as 
Heorv Smith, alias Rhinock; Albert Somers. 
John Reamer, Frank A. Wade, John Ma¬ 
guire and Eugene Lawn. Reamer is from 
Baltimore; Smith and Lawn from Phila¬ 
delphia. and the re«t from New York. On 
Somers "-ere found *1,500 in cash. They are 
held in *5.000 bail ^«eh it j s said that they 
have cleaned over *10,000 since they have been 
in this city.” 
Sharpers of this stripe are constantly on the 
outlook for farmers who wish to purchase 
horses in tbe city or town io which the rascals 
are operating. They generally hire a stable, 
usually the quieter and more retired the bet¬ 
ter. They frequently operate in a “private 
gentleman’s stable.” and have always on hand 
“gentlemen's horses,” sold only because the 
owners are “going to Europe” or “to the 
country,” or have been “forced to retrench 
expenses." The animals are in reality usually 
the veriest “plugs.” doctored and fixed up 
temporarily for sale. Sometimes, as in the 
Boston case, they have all or most of the vices 
which a bad natural disposition and a bad 
education cau develop. Sometimes the 
sharpers hold “mock auctions.” at which 
confederates, under the guise of strangers, 
and sometimes dressed even as clergymen, bid 
up worthless jades to a figure many times 
more than they are worth. The buyer of a 
horse in the city must have his eyes open and 
his mind full of distrust, or he will run a big 
risk of being swindled. 
£fye poultnj-Bartr. 
PREPARING WINTER QUARTERS FOR 
POULTRY. 
Every month finds the practical farmer and 
poulterer with plenty of work upon their 
hauds, but during October and November 
those who take time by the forelook see to it 
that the houses for their feathered pets and 
stock in general are in good trim for their 
winter comfort. Daring these months every¬ 
thing should be put in order, if the owner de¬ 
sires to receive full recompense for his care 
BLACK-FACED RAM “SEVENTY-TWO." 
Re-engraved from the London Live Stock Journal. Fig. 472. 
