MOV 3 
1904 
Vol. LXII1 No 2858. 
NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 5, 1904. 
81 PER YEAR. 
NEW HAMPSHIRE SHEEP FARM 
THE “ WOOLLY BACK” ON ROUGH LAND. 
Summer and Winter Care. 
With the approach of the short cold 
days of Autumn an anxious season begins 
for the sheep fanner. The fields, al 
though as yet offering sufficient pastur¬ 
age, will soon lie brown and barren, and 
the wind will drive the sheep to the 
warmth of the folds. Although a hardy 
race in their native mountains, where 
they must struggle vigorously for exist¬ 
ence, sheep become very sensitive when 
transplanted to more favorable surround¬ 
ings. In the midst of luxurious Summer 
pasturage, they lead a life of enervating 
ease, and some degree of shelter is re¬ 
quired to enable them to endure the hard¬ 
ships of cold weather. Occasionally the 
sheep-owner allows his flock to remain 
in the open throughout the Winter, pro¬ 
viding only simply-built sheds for refuge 
at night and on stormy days. In such a 
case, the sheep must be furnished with 
abundant and proper food. But even 
under such conditions the experiment is 
a doubtful one. The animals gain little 
nourishment from the scanty herbage 
which they find in the fields, yet turn from 
the customary Winter fare of hay as un¬ 
palatable after the taste of pasturage. 
The great majority of floekmasters pre¬ 
fer to house their sheep in the Winter, 
and erect roomy and comfortable barns, 
surrounded by numerous sheltered folds, 
where the flocks may exercise in pleasant 
weather. Under the best **of conditions 
sheep do not bear confinement well. 
There is, however, a saying “Well sum¬ 
mered, half wintered,” and as the outdoor 
season draws to a close, every effort of 
the sheep-farmer is directed towards pro¬ 
moting the health of the flock. Through¬ 
out the bracing Autumn days the sheep 
are turned into the sunniest pastures. 
1'here they remain during the daytime 
until the final coming of Winter. Little 
harm is done to the vegetation by the first 
light snow, which may fall in November, 
and the active sheep soon push it aside, 
to nibble eagerly at the grass below. It is 
rarely before the first of December that 
the permanent shelter of the sheep-barn 
is sought. 
Sheep have the reputation of being both 
timid and stupid, but close acquaintance 
with them reveals considerable individ¬ 
uality. During the long, sunny days of 
Summer, their love for wandering leads 
them far afield, and they seem to care 
little for human companionship. As the 
life in the fields grows less attractive, 
however, the sheep linger readily in the 
neighborhood of the barns, -where they 
prove very grateful for any attention 
and show much harmless but active curi¬ 
osity in all that goes on around them. 
T rom time to time, a ration of corn is fed 
to them in the open, and it is a pictur¬ 
esque sight to see them gather, obeying 
the gentle call of the flockmaster: “Here 
sheep; here, sheep; sheep, oh sheep!” 
Devoid of fear they crowd closely about 
him, and eagerly feed from his hand. At 
TAKING THE SUN IN A SHELTERED CORNER. Fig. 353. 
NOONDAY IN THE PASTURE. Fig. 355. 
noontime in Autumn, the flocks no longer 
seek the shade, as in Summer, but chew 
their cuds in calm contentment where 
the sun’s rays are the warmest, while the 
touch of frost in the October air sends 
them into the shelter of the barns ere 
nightfall. Thus long before it is needed 
for a Winter home, the comfortable barn 
adds greatly to the welfare of the sheep. 
Much time and care are spent in plan¬ 
ning the buildings of the sheep farm. As 
a rule, they arc built on well-drained 
land, for dampness is an especial menace 
to sheep. In undulating country, a situ¬ 
ation is chosen where the barn is screened 
from the coldest winds by some well- 
wooded hillside. I he folds are placed on 
the sheltered sides and connected by small 
doors with the pens inside the barn. 
Abundant ventilation must be provided. 
The sheep crowd closely together in the 
pens, and in their heavy coats of wool 
soon begin to suffer from heat. Large 
upper windows are very desirable, where 
plenty of sun and air can be admitted, 
while the doors on the lower floor arc 
closed. I he pens extend down each side 
of the barn, leaving an open space in the 
center, where a wagon may enter when 
necessary. I he food-racks are of many 
different patterns. Sheep are extremely 
nice in their habits, and as they possess a 
keen sense of smell, the fodder must be 
kept fresh and untrampled. One of the 
most convenient racks is placed just be¬ 
neath the edge of the hay-loft. The hay 
is then easily thrown down from above, 
the surplus falling outside the pens, while 
the fleece of the sheep remains free from 
dust and chaff. A favorite food is grass 
mixed with clover, cut in its prime, and 
cured with great care. Indian corn, tur¬ 
nips and potatoes are eagerly eaten, with 
straw and cornstalks. Salt is not quite 
as essential to health in Winter as in 
Summer, but yet a certain amount of it 
is fed to the sheep by all good flock- 
masters. Running water and a stove for 
cooking are among the necessary conven¬ 
iences, and are often placed in a room 
at the end of the barn. They are especi¬ 
ally useful in case of illness, when some 
of the flock may need warmth and an 
invalid diet. 
Throughout the Winter, on every day 
when the weather permits it, the sheep 
ire driven out in the folds. On certain 
farms the custom prevails of “browsing” 
the flocks from time to time. The flock- 
master leads them to the woods and pas¬ 
tures, where they can crop the sweet- 
fern and the undergrowth, or find a few 
morsels of half-frozen grass. The upper 
lip of the sheep is divided, which enables 
it to bite the turf very closely, and it 
often find a tempting morsel, where 
another animal would refuse to graze. 
These are the conditions surrounding the 
sheep, where all possible thought is taken 
for their comfort. On many a smaller 
farm, however, the little flock has its pens 
in the cow barn, and takes its turn with 
the other live stock in sharing the use of 
the cow yard. The same rules of health 
