20(5 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
December 15. 
without covering—and the compound crooked lines of 
the veins. 
1). capitellata (Small - headed).—An East Indian 
species, of a neat, pleasing appearanoe. Fronds pin¬ 
nated, attaining a foot in height; pinme, or leaves, 
ovate, with a thick white edge. The seed-cases are large 
and round, placed in a regular row at regular distances 
on each side of the midrib. The root-stock is creeping, 
throwing out roots by which it may be increased. 
D. crassifolia (Thick-leaved).—A West Indian Fern, 
of a coarse strong habit of growth. The fronds grow 
two or three feet high ; they are simple, long, lance¬ 
shaped, with a contraction at the base. The seed-cases 
are remarkably large, round, and placed in one series at 
regular distances between the alternate primary veins. 
Increases readily by dividing the creeping rhizoma. 
D. hemionitidea (Hemionitis).—This is the Poly¬ 
podium membraneum of Don. A beautiful Fern from 
the East Indies. Fronds simple, eighteen inches long, 
broad, lance-shaped, with wavy margins; very mem¬ 
braneous, and jointed to a scaly, creeping root-stalk. 
The seed-vessels are small, round, and placed irregularly. 
Increased by division. T. Appleby. 
(To be continued.) 
MANAGEMENT OF FORWARD EWES AND 
LAMBS. 
(Continued from page 184.) 
Having, in my former paper, brought the management 
of Ewes down to the period of lambing, I would 
observe, that the risk, or probability, of loss is much less 
than it is with later Ewes, when the lambing season 
occurs in the months of December or January. In 
general, it is unnecessary to resort to the lambing-yard, 
or ‘ dead fold,’ by reason of the comparative mildness of 
the weather (peculiar to our climate) during the month 
of October and early part of November. On the other 
hand, it is not advisable, as is too often the practice, to 
allow the Ewes to roam at large during the night time, 
as those about to yean are too apt to stray away from 
the main part of the flock, and their Lambs are often 
lost, or found dead under untoward circumstances. 
The shepherd may be diligent and attentive, yet it 
is almost impossible for him to find the Ewes which 
most need his assistance in a dark night, when they are 
allowed to lie promiscuously over a whole field. I there¬ 
fore recommend that a shifting-fold should be used, 
being placed on the driest and most sheltered part of 
the field, and removed on to fresh ground every day. 
By this means the animals lie on clean land, which, 
with shelter, will contribute greatly to their health and 
well-doing; and will, at the same time, enable the 
shepherd to attend to those Ewes which may require 
assistance, for in the darkest night, when provided 
with a lanthorn, he will be able to discern them all; nor 
can the young Lambs, when they fall, escape his 
observation. 
By this mode of proceeding, the shepherd can at 
every visit remove all those Ewes or Lambs which 
require such care to a place of greater security; for it 
often happens, when we get a heavy rain, that it is 
necessary to take them to a hovel or covered shed. 
When the Lambs are perfectly strong, and the Ewes 
healthy, it will not be necessary to put them under ] 
cover, for should the weather be very wet, it is generally I 
mild at the same time, and I have usually found them 
do well thus managed when they have been well kept. 
The best Grass upon the farm having been reserved, 
both in Wheat stubbles and the young Clovers, the 
Ewes, with their Lambs, should now be placed upon 
this food, taking care to feed the Clovers at the day 
time, and the Wheat Eddishes during the night, as the 
former would receive damage by the stock feeding 
during the night-frosts; and the latter furnishes the 
best lay and shelter for the young Lambs. 
In this manner, if the Italian Rye Grass lias been 
provided for them, as before directed, the Ewes will 
give the greatest quantity of milk, and they may be 
kept upon these Grasses until the Lamb is a month or 
five weeks old with immense advantage; for the Lambs 
will be found, at the end of that time, in the best 
possible condition. At a month old the Ram Lambs 
should be castrated. There are two methods pursued ; 
one called drawing, which is done whilst the Lamb is from a 
week to ten days old ; the other called cutting and searing, 
which may be effected with advantage after the Lamb 
is a month old. I prefer the latter plan, as it is much 
safer; and the Lambs, when arrived at maturity, will be 
found more fleshy; and (the prime parts of the animal 
being more perfect) they will be better appreciated by 
the Purveyor. When the Lambs have attained the 
above-named age, they, as well as the Ewes, should be 
taken from the grass and placed upon root-feeding. 
At this age the Lamb begins to require food in addition 
to its mother’s milk; and for the benefit of the Ewe it 
is desirable that the Lamb should have it; for although 
the Lamb would go on and improve up to the age of 
eight or nine weeks’ old without artificial aid, yet the 
condition of the mother would be greatly reduced. And 
as it is customary to fat the Ewe and Lamb at the same 
time, I consider it necessary that they should both be 
advanced by the best known means from the time the 
Lamb has attained the age of five weeks. 
In order to do this, I recommend the following 
method (which is, indeed, my own practice):—Previous 
to commencing the feeding of roots, whether they con¬ 
sist of common Turnips, Swedes, or Carrots, they should 
be stacked or heaped in readiness for consumption 
about a week or ten days before being required for use. 
This will give time for the work to be kept forward 
should bad weather supervene, which may otherwise 
prevent the process of lifting the crop, and thus stop 
the system of feeding. The advantage of this mode of 
feeding depends very much upon the roots being cut 
and placed in troughs, both for the Ewes and Lambs, 
which has enabled parties occupying comparatively cold 
and heavy land to keep this early stock. Previous to 
the introduction of the cutter invented by Mr. Gardener, 
the forward Ewes and Lambs were kept almost ex¬ 
clusively upon the driest soils, where the Turnips could 
be consumed upon the land without loss; but it is now, 
however, rendered quite practicable, and, indeed, advan¬ 
tageous, to keep them upon nearly all soils where the 
