Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1860-03-02

ID, Sheep should hare Water. Many
suppose that sheep can get along very
well without water in winter, especially |
if they can get snow to eat. This is an
other great mistake. Sheep do not drink |
large quantities at a time, but require II |
often especially if they are not fed with
roots. Just observe the operations of
your sheep during the day, when fed with
dry hay. They will run TO the trough
and take few swallows Of water, and
then back to their hay, number of
times during twenty-four hours; and
that too when the ground is covered
with snow, showing that they prefer
water to snow. Sheep undoubtedly will
winter without water, but common sense
teaches US that they cannot do as well
without as with it, for the fluids of the
system must be supplied TO keep up a
healthy organization. In Vernon t,
where water is plenty for all, and within
the reach of all, that farmer who neglects
this most important suggestion, should be
considered poor apology for a WOOL
grower, and should be compelled to 60
without himself a short season-sufici-
emily long TO teach him that water is ne
cessary for health and well-bring.
Sd, Sheep should be fed a0ih Roofs
That sheep require some kind of green
or succulent food for winter use, l have
demonstrated to my satisfaction. For a
few years past have fed potatoes and
turnips to portion of my sheep, and l
know they have done much better than
those which have been wintered with
out.
] raise some three hundred bushels of
potatoes and one hundred of turnips,
annually, which cut up together, and
mix in little oat meal or wheat shorts,
and my sheep do remarkably well upon
= such feed. Especially is such food good
for sheep about to have lambs, for it will
make them fave milk, should they lamb
: any time during the winter.
think giving green feed to sheep in
winter is generally overlooked by our
farmers. European wool-growers con-
slider this point of great Importance
Morrell, In the american Shepherd, says
" The feeding Of green food, such as po-
tatoes, apples, hemlock or pine boughs
&c, is strangely disregarded by large
y majority of American wool-growers.-
This is a prominent point of attention
> in German management; indeed, it il
thus in every section of the continent
where ine-wooled sheep are cultivated
The sheep, if placed in localities suitable
to IFS general habits, at no period of The
year is so perfectly healthy and thrifty
as during the season of pasturage anC
from this the inference should be deduc
ed, that succulent food is the prominen
inducing cause. Confinement wholly Il
Al dry food does not comport with that va
d riety of continent which has been urged
J. so frequently if provision is not made
h of something else, it will be followed b,
K disorganized action of digestive func
J. tons, producing co5tiveness and conStipa
J. ton. The disease so frequent and fata
in American flock, called the stretches,
at results from co-tiveness but this i
e. scarcely known in England, which arise
N from the large variety of food the shee
IN are supplied with during the white
. months. In addition TO this, furthe
a. proof may be found in the fact, that it
If never known to attack the animal dur
of ing the grass season. The writer speak
ID from personal observation, in stating tha
ID a supply of green food is indispensable
ir necessary as a preventive of this disease
er In addition to green food operatin
ID thus, it has tendency TO increase th
If. wool and yolk secretions, and thereb
lis those valuable properties of wool, sue
a as elasticity, softness and soundness, al
ok increased and perfected; and withal, b,
is ing conducive to health, the condiuo
lis is improved, and consequently an au!
ny mented quantity Of wool is a certain r,
mr. suit.
ed These hints, though oft repeated, ma
have tendency to do good if properl
on appreciated.