1874] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
133 
Oxford-Down Sheep, 
The engraving here given is a copy of a 
photograph from life of an Oxford-Down ram. 
He is a three shearling, bred by Mr. Charles 
Howard, of Bedford, England, and was ex¬ 
hibited at two of the chief 
■agricultural fairs in Eng¬ 
land, at both of which he 
was highly commended. 
The flock to which he be¬ 
longs has taken no less 
than 72 prizes at different 
fairs since 1849, and be¬ 
ing selected as a type of 
■such an excellent flock, 
this ram may be accepted 
as a model of what this 
breed of sheep should be. 
The Oxfordshire Downs 
date from 1833. They 
sprang from a cross of the 
Hampshire and the South- 
Down ewes with Cots- 
woldrams. By judicious 
selection a satisfactory re¬ 
sult has been attained in 
producing a breed excell¬ 
ing in the desirable points 
of producing a good fleece 
of valuable wool, superior 
quality of mutton, hardi¬ 
ness of constitution, and 
uniformity of character—all points of the great¬ 
est value in a breed of sheep. From the flock of 
Mr. Howard sheep have been sent to Australia, 
Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Austria, 
Russia, Sweden, Holland] and Belgium. Each 
year, in July, the rams are sold at public 
sale, and the price has steadily advanced since 
1865, when these auction sales commenced. 
-- - ——« *> «—-- 
Spring Management of Lambs. 
✓ —.— 
The critical time with young animals is at 
their weaning. The change of food is so com¬ 
plete that if it is sud¬ 
denly made mischief 
can not fail being done. 
This is particularly 
true as to lambs, and 
upon the proper treat¬ 
ment before weaning 
them greatly depends 
their future constitu¬ 
tion ; if indeed they 
escape with life the 
many dangers incident 
to lambhood. As a 
general rule it is best to 
begin weaning a lamb 
as soon as it is a month 
old, or as soon as it can 
be tempted to eat. Be¬ 
fore the ewes are 
turned out to pasture 
a separate inclosure 
should be made, to 
which the lambs alone 
can gain access, and 
in which some tempt¬ 
ing and nutritious food 
is provided. This may 
be made adjoining the yard where the ewes 
are fed. There a small trough, several feet 
long, resting upon the ground, should be 
placed, in which a few handfuls of bran or 
oatmeal sweetened with sugar should be 
scattered. This has been our own practice 
in hastening early lambs for market, and 
a two weeks’ old lamb would learn to nibble 
its share along with the rest. Afterwards, 
when the ewes come to be turned into the 
field, the practice should not be discontin¬ 
ued, but, if possible, some arrangement should 
he made by which the lambs may have the run 
of a good piece of grass or clover along-side of 
the field in which the ewes pasture. We have 
generally arranged this by making small gaps 
in the fence, through which the lambs may 
creep when they are disposed. These gaps 
they soon discover and make use of, very early 
learning the natural trick of trespassing where 
they think they ought not to go. The best 
method of making a “ creep ” for the lambs, 
either in the yard or the field, that we have 
seen, is one shown in the accompanying en¬ 
graving. It may be attached to any fence or 
hurdle. It consists of a small double gate, or 
two single half gates, pivoted at the middle of 
the upper and lower bars to an opening made 
in the fence, in such a way as to afford room 
for a lamb to pass outwards without opening 
the gates. The inner extremity of each half of 
the gate consists of an upright roller, which, as 
the lamb squeezes through, turns and prevents 
the animal from injuring itself or from tearing 
its wool. The gates are pivoted, as before sta¬ 
ted, at the middle of the upper and lower bars, 
but on the outside of the fence. Thus when 
the lamb presses outwards 
the gate can not turn upon 
the pivots, because one 
half of it lies against the 
fence. This prevents the 
sheep from getting 
through. But when the 
lamb wants to return, af¬ 
ter having filled itself and 
become distended with 
food, as it presses upon 
the gates they open in¬ 
wards and allow it to pass. 
A light spring of elastic 
wood or wire, just suffi¬ 
ciently strong to restore 
the gate to its first posi¬ 
tion, is fixed to each 
one, so that no way of 
escape for the sheep 
may be permitted. The 
fence shown in the 
engraving is one that is 
quite common in sheep 
districts in England, and 
is very cheap and useful. 
It is made by driving 
light stakes into the ground and wattling 
light brush-wood amongst them. The stakes 
may be driven about four to six feet apart 
and the fence made four and a half feet 
high. A very useful portable fence for 
sheep may be made in this manner by weav¬ 
ing it in separate lengths of about 10 feet. Each 
length should be fastened to the next one by 
withes, and to a stake driven into the ground 
at the po'int of junction; another stake should 
be driven at the middle of each hurdle to 
strengthen the fence. If made of stuff from 
one half to one inch thick, a very substantial 
but yet light hurdle 
may be had, which 
will last many years 
with care, and which, 
where the material is 
readily procured, will 
cost nothing but the 
labor, and as this can 
be well spared at some 
seasons of the year, 
the cost will he prac¬ 
tically nothing. We 
have seen such hur¬ 
dles made of the low 
birch and alder brush, 
which abound i n 
swampy places, that 
answered every pur¬ 
pose of a costly fence. 
To make the hurdles 
of such timber the 
stems of the brush 
should be cut into 
lengths of four feet and 
a half or five feet, and 
closely trimmed of all 
the branches. A scant¬ 
ling the length of the hurdle required is procured 
and holes are bored three or four feet apart. 
The stakes or stems are put into the holes stand¬ 
ing upright, and the branches can then be woven 
between them very easily. The small twigs 
should be woveD in along with the larger ones, 
OXFORD-DOWN RAM. 
