February 2. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
a nice genial heat has to he neutralized by frequent, full 
exposures to an atmosphere not the most agreeable to 
vegetation in a dormant state, let alone that ot a highly 
excited kind. Nevertheless, Ibis anomaly is partly got 
over by beginning in time, and a sort of sturdiness of 
top is attained when good management and attention 
are put in force. J- Robson. 
TIIE MANAGEMENT OF LONG-WOOLLED 
EWES AND LAMBS. 
(Continued from page 223.) 
Unber the second head of the subject, I propose to 
consider the rearing of stock Lambs for grazing at a 
future period, as well as for keeping up tho numerical 
strength of the flock. In breeding Lambs for sale as 
grazing stock, we must regard, in some measure, the 
requirements of the graziers as well as the profit of the 
breeder. Tt often happens, that in situations where the 
soil and climate is suitable, that a portion of the Ewes 
are purchased every year, and the produce in Lambs 
sold as stock; in this case, with any of the varieties of 
the Long-woolled Ewes, it is the best plan to use the 
Down Tup for tho purpose of rearing the first cross to 
be sold to the graziers, and for this object it will be 
found that no cross is so good as that obtained from the 
Hampshire Down breed. The mixture of this blood 
with that of the Long-woolled varieties effects a great 
improvement in the value of the stock; this cross not 
only making a great, weight of mutton at a given age, 
but producing it of improved quality, as compared with 
the pure Long-woolled breeds,—the latter being, generally, 
somewhat deficient in lean meat, whereas the former will 
exhibit a well-combined proportion of both fat and 
flesh. It is from this circumstance that the cross-bred 
animals are more in request by the purveyor, and that 
they often realize in the live market a price very little 
below that of pure-bred Down sheep. 
In stock flocks, where the object is to continue a 
particular breed of sheep, and to replenish the flock, 
after the annual sale of tho old Ewes, by reserving the 
greater portion of Ewe Lambs, it is advisable to adhere 
as much as possible to distinctness of character and 
purity of blood. And in making a selection of Rams, 
and sometimes of a few Ewes also, I recommend that 
the origin of the flock should he carefully ascertained; 
and if it is traced to the same blood as that which it is 
intended to maintain, so much the better, if care and 
I judgment has been displayed in the stock from which 
i the choice is made; for I am of opinion, that breeding 
in-and-in (as it is called) is not objectionable, care 
being taken to procure, as a change, animals of the 
same blood, from different localities, where the difference 
of soil and situation will exercise a beneficial influence 
j upon the constitution. I would further observe, that it 
is better to select Rams of the best quality from your 
own flock rather than take them from others of doubtful 
origin. It is well-known that parties have continued to 
breed from the same flock for upwards of fifty years 
without intermixture, and with great success; lmt this 
j is evidently a matter of skill, and requires vigilant 
843 
attention, for it may be safely said, that in the case of 
many flocks now pampered by excessive feeding, for 
the purposes of exhibition, &c., if they were to be 
treated in the same manner, without a change by selec¬ 
tion from other flocks, although managed with great 
judgment in other respects, great degeneracy, with weak¬ 
ness of constitution, would be the inevitable result. 
In the department of Sheep farming called stock- 
breeding, it is necessary to consider the soil and locality ; 
and generally, the thinnest soils, the most hilly, and the 
most exposed, are chosen for the purposes of keeping 
breeding Ewes; these conditions of soil and climate 
being unfavourable to the profitable production of fat 
stock. I do not propose to repeat the details of manage¬ 
ment necessary for a breeding flock, which I have pre¬ 
viously gone into, and which will be found in the article 
on the treatment of Down Ewes, in No. 277 of The 
Cottage Gardener. In conclusion, I beg to express 
the conviction that the method of management there 
set forth, if fairly carried out, will be found quite suffi¬ 
cient, under ordinary circumstances, to ensure successful 
results. Joseph Bi.undeer. 
THE FATTING OF SHEEP. 
Of all the branches of farming economy and the 
practical management of land, the fatting of Sheep is 
one of the most important; and when it is considered 
how many influences are in operation, in connection 
with this subject, it may well be said, that to make it 
profitable and successful at the present day, requires 
all the service that scientific attainment can render, aud 
all tho advantages which can be derived from practical 
knowledge and diligent application. 
The fatting of Sheep in first-rate style, when conducted 
upon the modern and improved method, embraces a 
wide range of conditions, some of which are the kind of 
Sheep, and their age; the nature of the soil, its situation 
and aspect; the varieties of food, both natural and arti¬ 
ficial ; their cost and method of application; the influence 
of climate; the season of the year; and the rotation or 
system of cropping the land. All these, with others’ 
which will pass under consideration during the treat-, 
ment of this subject, must be received as necessary 
auxiliaries in the process, and all conducive, although 
varying in degree, to the success of the system. The 
first question to be asked is, Is our soil of the condition, 
staple, and quality, adopted to the flitting of Sheep ? If 
not, it would be far better to keep a stock flock in pre¬ 
ference to a grazing one, or else to appropriate the pro¬ 
duce for a different purpose. 
In the same degree that warmth is necessary to ani 
mals falling under cover, in the like manner is shelter 
desirable to grazing Sheep in open-field-feeding; aud as 
I propose to apportion a space in this paper to the con¬ 
sideration of tho house-feeding of Sheep, I therefore 
intend my observations, in general, to apply to tho 
method of fatting Sheep in the open field. 1 must, how¬ 
ever, here observe, that although tho advantage of 
moveable sheds for the Sheep to lie in during the winter 
