January 20. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
323 
From this period, the Lambs with the Ewes will be able 
to go into the pastures for grass-feeding, and this part 
of the season may be considered the most important of 
auy, for it often happens that the season is backward, 
or the farms cold and exposed. In either case, the 
Lambs will bo ready for the grass before it is sufficiently 
| advanced in growth to afford them sufficient sustenance 
without the additional aid of roots, or artificial feeding, 
i I, therefore, recommend that upon every farm possessing 
arable land Mangold should be grown, and held in 
reserve for the stock at this critical period of the year; 
: for in case the Lambs receive a check from insufficiency 
of food whilst young, they never recover it so far as to 
make first-rate fat Lambs. The Mangold, in this case, 
should be cut and placed in troughs for the Lambs in 
advance of the Ewes, as also oil-cake or corn until the 
grass is become abundant; but the Ewes may receivo 
their Mangold strewed over the grass land every day, 
and the grass should be partitioned off in folds until 
the fields are covered with a sufficiency to admit of 
being (what is called) stocked for the summer. Upon 
| those soils which are rich enough to fatten Sheep by 
i tho aid of its own produce alone, it is customary to 
reckon how many Ewes and Lambs may be fattened 
upon an acre, and turn in the number required, there to 
remain until the Lambs are fit for the market. On 
these soils they are often kept in connection with bul¬ 
locks; the laud being stocked, according to its capability, 
with both beasts and sheep; and from the quiet habit 
of the long-woollcd breeds they are found to do well 
when pastured with bullocks. On the contrary, the 
Down breed of Sheep is not found to answer well on 
stocking pastures upon this plan, either by themselves, 
or in connection with bullocks; for being of a roving 
habit, they trace the fields backwards and forwards, ren¬ 
dering the food quite distasteful to the cattle as well as 
themselves. Hence, the almost universal practice, where 
Down Sheep are kept, of giving their daily allowance of 
food by advancing the hurdles on to fresh ground. 
I havo noticed the promiscuous mode of feeding upon 
grass land adopted where the produce has been quite 
| insufficient to fatten the animals, and, in consequence, I 
j advise, that wherever the grass produce is not of rich 
] quality, the stock should be continually advanced, by 
| receiving, in addition to their daily portion of grass, a 
| supply of roots, or artificial food, which will not only 
| make good any deficiency in the feeding properties of 
j the grass, but will greatly improve the value of the 
j produce in future seasons. Under the foregoing method 
of management the Lambs will be fit for the market 
at from twelve to fourteen weeks old, at which time the 
Ewes, also, will be forward in condition; many, perhaps, 
fat enough to sell at the time the Lamb is sent to 
market; but in this sort of Sheep tho wool is valuable 
from its quantity, particularly when kept upon the 
strongest soils—it is, therefore, desirable to make it a 
rule never to sell the Ewes until they have been fleeced, 
and there is no breed of Sheep which look so well out 
of their wool as the Long-woolled and their crosses, and 
realise in proportion a greater price in consequence. 
This kind of stock ought always to be sold off fat before 
Michaelmas, because the grass loses its fattening pro¬ 
perty after that time; therefore, the most backward 
Ewes, or those which may have reared twin Lambs, 
should bo forwarded by corn or cake feeding. 
R. Blundell. 
{To be continued.) 
THE MAIN CHANCE. 
( Concluded from-pane 267.) 
By the Authoress of “ My Flowers.” 
“Frederick Jones’ voyage had been very prosperous, but 
bis troubles on landing were overwhelming: the expences 
of moving bis goods and chattels from shipboard were 
frightful; and tho difficulty of obtaining shelter almost 
incredible. There was an evident attempt to put the best 
face upon things; hut it was at the same time so clear that 
he would have given anything to be able at once to return, 
that the struggle to brave out the undertaking would have 
been amusing had it not been so painful. He had received 
one or two offers of employment, but he could not decide 
whether at once to advance to tho diggings, or to engage in 
his own trade. 
“The scenes of reckless intemperance and outrageous 
wickedness, evidently had shocked his mind, while the loss 
of his domestic comforts, and the gentle attentions of an 
excellent and devoted mother, were clearly much felt. He 
wrote, “ Tell my little brother John not to think of coming 
hero until I send for him; ” and he quaintly added, “ that will 
he many a long day first.” He hoped, he said, in a few 
years, to save enough money to enable him to return with 
a realization of an independence. This, he admitted, was the 
aim of almost the whole of the population; no one seemed 
to have made up his mind to be a permanent inhabitant; 
alas! how few of those who are sanguine enough to entertain 
such a notion will ever realize their anticipations ! 
“ Months again rolled on, and the arrival of every Australian 
mail was eagerly looked for by the friends of Frederick 
Jones, in the hope of its bringing further intelligence from 
the absentee; nor were they disappointed, for early one 
morning a letter in his well-known handwriting was given 
to the father, and was read with eagerness aloud to the 
whole family. Frederick was working about sixteen miles 
from Melbourne, on the road to the diggings, where he was 
receiving ample wages, which probably might have enabled 
him to lay aside a weekly sum towards the fund to enable 
him to return home, had not the expence of food and 
raiment been exorbitant, and lodging fearfully high. He 
had, too, been unwell, and unable for some time to work at 
all, but was now much improved in health; and he had 
been obliged to walk sixteen miles to post his letter, and to 
return the same evening, making, as he said, “ a tolerable 
walk ” for such a purpose. These were still moro decided 
symptoms of regret at having left England, and a strong 
recommendation to all to pause before they decide upon 
emigrating. The climate, he said, evidently did not suit a 
large proportion of the emigrants; and fevers and dysentery 
were frequent. 
“About the same time of the same day another letter 
was received in the town, brought by the mail from South 
Australia, and directed to the parents of the young man 
who accompanied Frederick Jones. The date of this letter 
was about three weeks later than the former, and sad, indeed, 
was the intelligence it brought! The writer, who had 
opened a small store, was suddenly summoned to attend j 
the sick-bed of his friend, whom he found prostrated with 
typhus fever, insensible to all around him, and evidently in 
great danger. The doctor said the case was not without 
hope, but everything depended upon careful and judicious 
nursing. No tender mother was at hand to minister to his 
wants; and the young friend alone undertook its arduous 
duties. For three days and nights he never left Frederick’s | 
bedside, and had to undergo, alone, all the overwhelming ! 
anxieties of watching over him. Sometimes, in the paroxysms : 
of delirium, poor Frederick would throw himself from the : 
