The Portland daily press., 1876-02-14
THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
Sheep Husbandry-OId Pasture.

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There seems to be so little genuine old
grass land in the United States, at least in
those states that have been so long popu-
lated, that it appears as if this fact had some
influence on the very few sheep kept in COM
parison with England. How strange it is
that while in this country sheep are almost
unknown in some of the thickly populated
districts, and miles can be travelled without
seeing single flock, and when some are met
with they seldom exceed forty or fifty in num-
Der, a traveller in England will see sheep in
every fourth field he passes, taking an aver
age of the whole island, and not only so, but
instead of forty or fifty there will often be
hundreds, and at this time of the year, and
from now till next summer, hundreds of the
lambs, now called Tegs, will be seen lying
exposed to all weathers, yet growing in NUT
ton and wool as none in the States, north or
south, ever do.
The ewes in this continent have nowhere
to run on grass without ipjuring next years
prospects, because the timothy, which is so
universal in the old states, will not bear be-
ing grazed down; and if they are shut up
10 yards and sheds, it is so unnatural that
they all, or at any rate do badly and bring
poor, weak lambs, many of which die, and
tegs cut very little wool, and run at the nose,
all of which is occasioned through waste of
pasture to run over every fine day to keep up
health and strength from the fresh air and
the exercise and the smell of the ground.
But still it is not altogether for want of old,
permanent grass lane, as in Scotland ,over the
Lothians, and generally there is little of the
undisturbed old grass excepting mountain
sides, but in the parts where there is no per-
manent pasture it is customary to haul por-
ton OF the turnips and feed some on the
temporary grass, which is coming in turn to
be ploughed for oats, thus by also often hav-
ing young cattle lying on the fields, coming
in rotation for oats, great crops are grown,
often eighty bushels per acre. There will be
from half to two-thirds of the tarnips eaten
where grown, and as the Scotch always sue
coed in producing very heavy crops Of tur-
nips, the coating of manure left by the
sheep as they are penned, regularly over the
surface, is enough to force great crops all
through the course; therefore, although the
lack of old pastures may have some effect in
checking the spread of sheep husbandry, it
need not necessarily hinder the raising of
wool and mutton in the United States for
some of the Scotch claim they raise more
sheep and cattle in proportion to their av-
erage than the English do, and consequently
they argue that it is proof of the old grass
remaining always undisturbed by ploughing
being no advantage to the country.
However, as I was always accustomed to
the rich old pastures and meadows in the
best part Of England, and have seen that the
best butter and cheese were invariably made
from it, and that, although labor was so cheap
there, yet the saving of the cost of plough
ing and cultivation made what are there
called grazers more prosperous than those
those who occupy all arabic land. l always
retain high opinion of land which is of
suitable soil for remaining perpetually in
grass.-A Working Farmer IN RuraE Neao
Yorker