Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1847-12-03
From de Teimont Agricndiurist
Keeping Sheep in Winter.

As preparation for winter is the order Of
the day for November, we take the liberty,
in this connection, TO state a few facts in re-
gard to a plan Of close keeping adopted by
the Hon. John s. Pettibone, Of Manchester,
who has one Of the best hocks of Merinos
in the country.
Judge Peitibone has a barn 40 feet by 30,
which he fills with hay. Along one side
and across one end of this he has erected
close sheds. Is feet wide, at an expense, in.
GLIDING go feet of wall, of 800. Living
water, which never freezes, runs through
the sheds, so as 10 accommodate the differ
ent focks. Good Turks Island salt is kept
IN boxes accessible to the sheep at all times.
In this close shed he has fer " years kept
sheep confined. The sheep are divided,
store sheep in one part, eve lambs in anolh-
er, buck lambs in a third, the divisions be.
ing made by The boxes from which both ad-
joining iocks eat, and of course may be va
ried according to circumstances. The barn
being about a mile from the house, the sheep
were fed but twice a day, with interyale hay,
including some wild grass, &c, and had
not a particle Of grain OF any description.
Yet he informs US that he never knew sheep
to do better. They consisted of about 100
yearling ewes, including some of different
ages, and l02 lambs; and there was not q
slckly sheep in the whole lot. Lambs are
oiten subject to scours, but not one of these
was SO affected. After being confined on
these narrow limits five months and two
days, they all came out Except one which
got hung in the rack as well and in as good
order as when put up; and this notwith.
standing, he remarks, there never was a
year before in which SO many sheep died in
that vicinity. Forty-two OF the buck lambs
were taken 10 Ohio, and sheared five lbs Of
wool each-or rather fifty bucks, lorty.two
lambs and eight old bucks, averaged five
lbs. The remainder averaged over four lbs.
He has no doubt but wool on sheen thus
kept is softer and of better growth than on
sheep exposed 10 cold and storms. They
require, too, less fodder, and the manure is
made more valuable.
The result, it will be seen, comedies in
substance with the conclusion of the Eng
fish feeders'o mutton in regard 70 all the
three important points, economy of food
good condition of the animal, and The in.
creased value Of the manure. The princi-
pie is, confinement and prolection-com-
fort and quiet.
Now what you can add to the ton Of the
heap any such way is clear profit. So much
only stays in the purse as comes after the
sheep is paid for. The remark is obvious
enough, and the wool.grower may repeat il
a thousand times; and yet he may lail to
make, IN the actual management OF the
Hook, the legitimate infcrences. He NAV
not, in view of it, make il his aim BY nice
calculation and careful management, to save
a few cents a head in keeping, or in ma.
nure. or add two or three ounces to the
weight Of his fleece and yet he would be
far from indifferent to the equivalent of this
IN his sales, l.. c. two or three cents a pound
in the price of his wool.
Something may YET doubtless be learned
an regard to the kind of food used. We
believe it is getting 10 he more common 10
feed beans. Experiments show that they are
peculiarly favorable to the growth Of wool.
Chemical analysistells US the reason beans
more Of the constituent elements of
wool than any other kind Of food.
sour description above docs not give the cxact
s.Paee, The shed Is equal to about 100 feet by 10
the Iooi descending from the caves Of the barn 10
'"s 'op OF The wall : feet high