236 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
[May, 
the evil disposition of the animal until he 
becomes thoroughly reckless. 
Sometimes the attendant assumes that the 
creature is entitled to no kindness, and pur¬ 
sues a career of rough and boisterous treat¬ 
ment, shouting at him and pounding him or 
kicking him every time he comes within 
reach. On some occasion this treatment is 
resented, an act that consigns the poor ani¬ 
mal to a life of torture and violence of wliich 
the scars on his hide and his broken tail or 
ribs are the dumb witnesses. A rational dis¬ 
cipline is the only wise and safe course to 
pursue. A habit of obedience can be estab¬ 
lished with these animals as readily as with 
the steers. In this habit is the best safe¬ 
guard of the man and also the guarantee of 
human treatment for the beast. 
He must have patience,resolution, judgment 
and that real kindness in the treatment of this 
and all other animals, which requires noth¬ 
ing unreasonable, and which never allows a 
willful disobedience. With a good ring, and 
a stout staff, the man is master, but he will 
never inflict unnecessary punishment. 
Do not take it for granted that this animal 
is a tax upon the resources of the farm. He 
is as well able to earn his own living as an 
ox or a horse. Where there is horse-power 
labor he can do it. He can be worked when 
young, single in harness for a cart, cultivator, 
or stone-boat, and do most efficient service, 
driven by rein with a proper snaffle. Be¬ 
gin with this animal as a calf, and pa¬ 
tience and ingenuity will find a way to use 
him profitably. Nothing can be done with¬ 
out judgment and watchfulness. D. D. B. 
Mutton Sheep. 
J. W. DARROW, CHATHAM, N. T. 
In view of the fact that mutton is being 
consumed in larger quantities every year, it 
is important to know 
which are the best breeds 
for producing it. The vari¬ 
ous classes of Downs are 
preferable, as they are 
hardy, prolific, and early 
in maturing. The South 
Down has for many years 
taken precedence over all 
other breeds. The Hamp¬ 
shire, Shropshire and Ox¬ 
ford Downs are also ex¬ 
cellent mutton sheep, their 
meat being tender, juicy, 
well-flavored, and not over¬ 
fat. Cotswolds and Lin¬ 
colns are larger, coarser 
animals, and not maturing 
early, do not rank high as 
mutton breeds. When it 
is desirable to have good 
mutton and wool qualities 
combined in one breed, a 
cross between a Merino 
ram and Cotswold or Lincoln ewes will pro¬ 
duce a valuable fleece and fine meat, and if 
on ewes of this cross a South Down ram is 
used, an excellent class of lambs will result. 
Fig. 3.— THE LOFT. 
The Cotswold-Merino cross-breeds and their 
progeny mature early, attaining a weight of 
about 140 pounds, alive, at the age of 14 
months. We should not, how¬ 
ever, expect a wool-producing 
breed to rank very high as a 
mutton-producer; the one qual¬ 
ity being necessarily sacrificed, 
in a greater or less degree, to 
the other. But whatever the 
breed, it is of prime importance 
to select a good size for breed¬ 
ing purposes ; an inferior one 
will entail evils upon his pro¬ 
geny for generations. As a 
fattening ration for mutton 
sheep a mixture of equal parts 
of oats, corn meal and linseed 
meal, in addition to well-cured 
clover hay, will give satisfac¬ 
tory results. Begin with a gill 
of the grain per head daily, 
and increase the quantity 
gradually until toward the last 
of the feed, the sheep may be 
fed all they will eat. Besides 
the hay and grain, roots or good ensilage may 
be fed to keep the bowels in good condition. 
Digestion and assimilation must be perfect to 
insure healthy growth or rapid fattening. 
Plan of a Piggery. 
CLASS V.—FIRST PRIZE—BY “BROAD AXE,’’ (E. N. PRATT),, 
JACKSON CO., MICH. 
The main building is 16 by 36 feet, with 16 
feet posts. The extension for pens is 14 by 
36 feet, and 8 feet high on the back side. The 
sills and joist of the pen part are of white 
oak or other durable timber. Other timber 
may be pine, spruce, or hemlock. The siding 
is 1 by 12-inch stock boards battened ; cor¬ 
nice about 18 inches projection; roof covered 
with good quality cull-boards and best 18 
inch cedar or pine shingles. There is a ven¬ 
tilating cupola as shown on elevations figs. 1 
and 2. Sliding doors connect each pen with 
the yards in rear; they are also in partitions 
between pens and on the left side, as shown 
in fig. 2, and also in the main floor, fig. 4. 
The main floor is designed to be used for 
scalding and dressing, and should be matched 
and put together with thick paint to make it 
water-tight. It may be “deafened” to ex¬ 
clude frost from cellar, by putting about two 
inches of coarse mortar on rough boards be¬ 
tween the joists. The cellar-way should be 
ceiled inside and filled in with the same ma¬ 
terial. The feeding-troughs should be of 
hard-wood and constructed as shown in de¬ 
tail, in figures 5, 6, and 7. The doors, when 
hanging perpendicular, shut the hogs from 
the trough, and when swung back and fast¬ 
ened by a button to the front of the trough, 
they allow the hogs to feed. The cellar, fig. 8. 
cistern and foundation walls are of 
field 
A K 
'v 
) 
V y 
{ 
A 
L 
/ 
{ 
s. 
Fig. 5.— FRONT OF TBOUGH. 
stone laid in mortar; the cellar bottom is 
“grouted” and provided with a drain if 
necessary. Plaster the cistern with cement 
mortar, and the ceiling of the cellar with the 
same material. The opening to the cistern 
on the outside is closed with a door. The 
Fig. 6.—trough open. Fig. 7. —trough closed. 
furnace and kettle may be cast-iron, port¬ 
able, or the kettle may be set in brick. A 
sheet-iron funnel, well painted, should be set 
