Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-02-16
Agricultural Items.

Fsro,SG SHEEP IN WINTER Sheep
-, ~ than any other kind OF farm stick
dsmsud variety Of food. / believe tina,
variety and puuctuahty are more essential
10 thrift, than quantity or even qnaiity.
In 81 inner sheep may be seen TO swarm
over the pasture, passing good bites OF
food in search of daisy, clover head
or some uncommon kind of grass. In
winter they are, ia this latitude, confined
in wards and obliged to live upon just
what we give them and it will pay to
consult as far as possible their taste and
requirements. I have seen focks of sheep
that were much to far for mutton, sur
rounding racks half full of orts, showing
that their poor condition could not be laid
to want of sufficient food.
On the other hand, have seen tiocks OF
fat, plump sheep, in whose racks straw
ooufi scarcely ever be found, in one hour
from the time of feeding, showing con-
clusively that large quantities OF orts are
not necessary to promote the good conoi-
ton of sheep.
Sheep should not be fed too early IN the
the morning. Probably this advice is not
necessary TO some farmers, but to others l
think it is. Any one who is in the habit
of feeding before sunrise must have noticed
how sheep dislike to leave their warm
beds. Even the temptation of food when
they are hungry, is not sufficient to get
them up Immediately and some will allow
person to step over them rather than
expose themselves to the cold morning air
They should not be disturbed till the sun
is up. Then there will be saving of heat
which is precisely the same as a saving o.
feed. AS general rule sheep is doing
we'll as long as it is lying comfortable ane
chewing its cud. Feed them about sunrise
just what they will eat up clean. Aftel
they are done eating if any remains remove
it from the racks. If you are keeping s
colt near by it will surprise you to see hin
leave pile of hay and feast on those orts
from the sheep rack. At the proper time
which consider three o'clock in the after
noon, teed again upon different kind o
fodder if possible. 1t will well repay thu
trouble in putting in a NOW of hay to-
sheep to alternate with different kinds @
grass and clover. Herds-grass, red-top
meadow nay, anu Clover, one after anotuei
will be gladly welcomed, and Rivel
quantity composed of three or four kind
fed one kind after another will 60 farthe
and produce better results than the same
quantity of one kind of fodder.
Bean pods and vines are liked much by
sheep. When the beans are threshed In
stead to throwing the vines into the yart
or hog pen, save them to feed the sheer
occasionally, few at time. An oc
casional feed of bright oat straw, or ever
wheat straw, will please them and at thu
same time save the hay. Sheep like wei
cured corn-fodder. / firmly believe thai
one ton of hay of different kinds, fed as
above recommended, will do more good
than a ton and half when the racks art
stuffed full whenever it is convenient, witt
the kind of hay that comes hardest ant
the orts allowed to accumulate until con
venient time comes to remove them. II
fact the most convenient way is not al
ways the best way in this as well as othe
branches Of agriculture. P. f. C.