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198 
ing. In setting the flocks, particular attention 
is paid to size, wool, strength of constitution, 
propensity to fatten, and uniformity of character 
and carriage, by which the animals are easily 
distinguished from other long-woolled breeds, 
The ewes are placed with the ram rather early in 
the season; and care is taken to have a reserve 
of fresh keep to remove them to about the middle 
of September. The rams are continued with the 
ewes about nine weeks; and during the latter 
part of this time, they are kept upon white tur- 
nips, and thence they are drawn out weekly upon 
the plan adopted by the Leicester breeds. Great 
attention is paid to the flocks during lambing- 
time, the yards being made very warm and com- 
fortable. The wether-lambs are put forward and 
managed upon a similar plan to those upon Lin- 
coln Heath; but the Cotswold breeders are more 
particular in having early spring feed for them. 
They are supplied with corn, according to cir- 
cumstances, through the summer. When the 
clovers are going off about midsummer, they are 
frequently removed to green tares provided for 
them, the ewes being taken away and placed 
in some distant field. When the lambs are 
placed upon the tares, they are either al- 
lowed fresh pens from time to time, as they 
require them, or the tares are mown and given 
them in racks, or laid alongside the trays to be 
eaten through them. ‘The better plan, when 
consumed upon the land, is to have a regular 
set of iron trays, upon feet, coupled together by 
rings and staples. These trays should be 12 feet 
long, upon oak feet 25 feet long, which may be 
moved in an onward direction several times a 
day, according to the consumption through them. 
By this plan the tares are much economized, and 
fed off without being in the least degree soiled. 
These iron trays, being portable, are equally good 
for feeding off coleseed upon the same principle, 
and are much used for this purpose in South 
Lincolnshire, where it is not uncommon to see 
coleseed much higher than the sheep, particu- 
larly in those situations where paring and burn- 
ing is practised, and the seed drilled in with a 
portion of bones. When the feeding of tares is 
practised to any extent, they are sown at differ- 
ent intervals during the spring, to hold out until 
after harvest, at which time the lambs are re- 
moved to the barley stubbles, or young seeds, 
and are supplied with white turnips thrown 
upon the land fora short time. They are placed 
upon the turnips at the end of September, and 
commence their winter management with cut 
turnips and artificial food, which is increased 
during the winter. About March and April, 
they are sold fat to the butchers in the neigh- 
bourhood, or sent to the London market. Those 
breeders who bestow less care and expense upon 
their lamb-hogs, sell them in a store state at the 
principal fairs in the neighbourhood, to be fat- 
tened by the graziers. The breeders, in fact, 
make it their practice te clear them off when 
SHEEP. 
the turnips are finished. 
drafted and sold upon the plan adopted by the 
Lincoln-Heath breeders. 
The new Leicester sheep require to be repro- 
duced on principles which will secure the purity 
of the breed, and promote, in the surest way, the 
prolificity of the ewe. All the best breeders are 
very fastidious about the sound blood and the 
good points of both rams and ewes, and promptly 
reject animals who, though otherwise exceedingly 
good, possess some little deteriorating cross or de- 
teriorating tendency, or want some little unifor- 
mity in their general outline; and some reject 
the entire produce of any ewe or set of ewes 
who have in any degree disappointed them, and 
are exceedingly cautious in using young sheep 
who have not been proved, preferring to see 
their produce in order that they may proceed 
with the least possible risk of defect. Ewes 
who have been selected for breeding are, for 
some time, kept in better fare than the rest; 
and groups or classes of them are studiously as- 
signed: to such rams as are best suited to correct 
their faults. The method of many breeders is to 
admit the rams early in September for forward 
lambs, and about the first of October for the 
general stock of lambs; but a much better one, 
now generally practised by the most successful 
breeders, is to place “a teazer” with the ewes, 
and to bring them individually and regularly 
out as they are observed. When the office of 
the ram is over, the ewes are dressed with mer- 
curial ointment, in the proportion of 2 lbs. to the 
score, to cleanse them and to assist the growth 
of the wool. On grazing farms, the ewes, up to 
this season, and in many situations much longer, 
are kept upon the grass or meadow lands; but 
on arable farms, which contain but a small pro- 
portion of grass land, they are usually placed 
upon the turnip lands, to pick up the leavings 
of the store-lambs, who are allowed to go for- 
ward,—and they do exceedingly well. But a 
fortnight or so before lambing, they are drawn 
out and placed upon grass land, if possible, near 
home; they are shut up every night in a lamb- 
ing-yard ; a few turnips are thrown to them in 
the field when convenient, otherwise they are 
allowed a moderate quantity of corn, with cut 
hay or clover chaff ; and when suitable, they are 
placed upon turnip-lands for a few hours during 
the day, exercise being very desirable. Those 
that have lambed during the day or night are 
removed to convenient sheds previously prepared 
for the occasion, and thence to better quarters, 
such as a prepared field of rye, or rye and tares 
mixed with a little coleseed, but more commonly 
to young seeds or grass-lands which have been 
rested for them, and there supplied with a few 
turnips or corn. Upon arable farms, it is fre- 
quently their lot to be again placed upon the 
turnip-land, with a supply of rock-salt to lick in 
small iron troughs. Salt is also frequently given 
with the chaff. In those situations where the | 
The flock -ewes are. 
