THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
January 5. 
260 
often prove fatal to an alarming extent, namely, the 
white scour, and a rheumatic affection. The first, 
which is often beyond control, I have sometimes 
cured, when discovered in good time, with a dose 
of ten drops of tincture of opium, half a teaspoonful 
of prepared chalk, in half a wine-glass of warm 
water. This is sufficient for a Lamb at any age 
under one month, and should be repeated every 
three hours, until the desired effect is produced. The 
rheumatic complaint is first discovered by the animal 
becoming crippled, and losing the use of one or more 
legs, which swell at the joints, after which the Lamb 
soon becomes emaciated; and in case actual death does 
not ensue, they are profitless for keeping, and should 
be destroyed. This disease, unlike the first-named, has 
no remedy; but in all disorders a preventive being 
better than a cure, I shall endeavour to show the causes, 
and likeliest method of prevention. In my own flocks, 
for the last twenty years, I have suffered great loss by 
this complaint, and I attribute the causes to be, firstly, 
the Ewe having more milk than the Lamb can take. 
secondly, the insufficiency of milk, whereby the Lamb 
becomes unable to bear the effect of changeable 
and bad weather; and, thirdly, undue exposure in 
low and wet situations. The first cause should be 
obviated by the milk being drawn from the udder 
every morning, in all cases where the Lamb cannot 
take it, for I believe this to be the chief cause 
of the disease, and often the occasion of the white 
scour also, for by accumulation in the udder the 
milk becomes unwholesome. Insufficiency of milk 
may be in some measure rectified by the before-named 
use of linseed gruel. The last cause named may be 
removed by keeping the stock upon the driest and most 
sheltered parts of the farm, or by artificial protection. 
The Lambs having arrived at a fortnight old, they 
should, with the Ewes, be placed on root-feeding; and 
it ought, at this juncture, to be determined whether the 
Ewes are to bo fattened with the Lambs, or are to be 
held on for grass feeding and fatting in the summer 
months. I advocate both methods as being advisable 
upon farms of moderate size, where there is a fair 
proportion of arable and pasture land. 1 would take 
half the number of Ewes (those which bringtheir Lambs 
earliest) and keop them for the former purpose, and the 
remaining half I would hold on for the latter. 
In carrying out the former plan, the object is to 
i'attcn the Ewes at the same time they are suckling 
their Lambs; and for this purpose, I should recommend 
precisely the same mode of feeding, both for Ewes and 
Lambs, as that which has been written upon in detail 
in my lormor paper upon the “Management of Forward 
Ewes and Lambs,” and for which I bog to refer the 
reader to No. 272, page 206, of The Cottage Gar¬ 
dener. When the method therein described has been 
carefully carried out, the Lambs will be fit for market 
at thirteen and fourteen weeks old, and the major por¬ 
tion of the Ewes will be ready likewise, as soon after 
the Lambs are sold as the weather will admit of their 
being clipped of their wool. 
By the latter mode of management, it is only in¬ 
tended to keep the Ewes in good substantial condition, 
sufficient for them to maintain and furnish an abundant 
supply of milk for their Lambs, and to gradually improve 
their case, in order that they may, when leaving Turnip 
feeding, be speedily fattened upon grass. It is, how¬ 
ever, a good plan to breed from the Ewes a second 
season when they have been thus managed. This 
should, however, be determined by the relative prices 
between stock Ewes and Mutton; for when stock is 
higher in proportion than fattened Sheep, they will pay 
better to breed from again than to fatten upon grass 
and summer keeping. I have found, for a series of 
years, that Ewes fattened from shearing-time till 
Michaelmas will pay about nine shillings per head; 
whereas the increase in their value when put to the 
Ram, and kept for stock up to Michaelmas, would, in 
ordiuary seasons, amount to twelve shillings per head. 
Nor is this the only advantage to be derived; for the 
breeding Ewes only require moderate keep, and may be 
kept in greater numbers by one-third, whereas the 
fatting Ewes must receive the best summer lood upon 
the farm, and bo kept in limited numbers. 
To return, however, to the mode of feeding—when 
the Ewes and Lambs enter upon Turnips it is best lor 
them to begin with common Turnips, which, upon some 
very dry, sandy, or gravelly soils, may be eatUu upon the 
land uncut if the Ewes’ teeth are good; but in case the 
land becomes very dirty from feeding in wet weather, 
the Turnips should be cut and given in troughs. The 
quantity saved by this plan will pay the expense ot 
cutting, in addition to the advantage derived by the 
animals. Under this system the Ewes receive only 
Turnips and Hay, and the common varieties ot Turnips 
should always be consumed by the middle of the month 
of February, after which they should receive Swedes 
until the end of the Turnip-feeding season. The Lambs 
must, however, in this case, be fed in the best possible 
way in accordance with the plan given in detail in a 
former paper; but I would here state what I believe was 
there omitted, that a special provision should be made 
for the Lambs, by the reservation of a quantity of 
Carrots (where they can be advantageously grown), con¬ 
tinuing to feed them upon this root until the early part of 
April, after which they lose some of their quality, when 
Mangold may be substituted instead, up to the time of 
Grass-feeding; indeed, 1 know of nothing so good to 
give them, whilst feeding upon grass, as Mangold- 
wurtzel, cut and placed in troughs, and given alternately 
with Cake and Peas. 
I would here observe upon the great advantage to bo 
derived by feeding Lambs upon White Carrots; for, 
after several seasons of carofully-conductod experiments 
upon this subject, I have proved that one-half the 
quantity of Oil-cake and corn will be saved by their use; 
that is to say, the Lambs do not, and cannot, eat more ' 
than half the quantity of Oil-cake, &c., whilst feeding 
upon Whito Carrots, as they do when fed upon Swedish 1 
or any variety of Turnips, although they have boon 
allowed a continual supply of roots, and cake, and peas, ! 
