The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1877-07-21
5 NO.. A.
:. A:2n1ong thc }farmrr5.
WlOagaNlou of Sheen

management Of Sheep.
have frequently heard NV father
speak of the difference of the treat
ment OF a flock of ewes in the early
and latter part Of his long life (ninrty
years.. In his boyhooA Comparative.
" few roots were grown. The LIGHT
Lands were farmed III the six or sew
en- cou1>c shift, and bnt little wheat
was grown. Rye was the principal
winter corn crop. The layers we've
allowed to lie two, three or four
years. Under this system there was
long Interval between turni,s be-
ing grown upon the same land, and
consequently it was more kind for
that root and did not require so much
manure. y, manSol,lS were grown
at that time, and but few sWc;!rS, aud
the latter on that part Of the land
that had been muckvd the previous
year for wheat, wlIcu al additional
| light coat Of farm yard manure or
! cwt. Of rapc-cakc was used. Where
the land had been sheep, folded for
rye, nothing WAS done or required for
common ;alnirS. Where there had
not been anything done fox the rye
crop, the shcrp-toll was got over all
the land that could hc doac in time
for sowing the turnips, which was
not finished until tie last week in
July. 1t chat time there was u great
deal of heath and warren land which
has since been broken up. With a
rln npcE The heath and the old lay
"rs, with a little long hay hung round
The fu!zc bushes iu sharp weather,
the ewes were kept of tulnips until
u few weeks Of lamoiny. Heavy loss
from abortion was ut that time almost
unknown. From my own experience
(extiuding over upwards of fifty
years. | long since came to the con-
clusion that snpcrpl.ospllatc manurcs
extensively USED for turnips were in
.jnrions to flock of breeding ewes.
\ few years since | had a flock of
six hundred ewes {npon All ot1-hanl
farm) feeding of a thirty acre field
of nice useful sheep turnips, all, cx-
ccrt about four acres in a proper
state Of riprncss for feeding. The
ewes did well upon the twenty six
acres OF ripe tnrnips. The four aclcs
at one corner of the field were after
rye and tarcs mown OF. The four
acres were heavily dressed with ar
ti'icial manulc, and tho tarn;pS sown
much later than those on the other
part of the field. The weather WAS
iinc aud open; the turnips grew rap
idly, and tho tops were very succu-
lent. When the larger part of tho
field was finished, l said to tie shop
herd, Il al, rather afraid of these
Young turslips for tAe ewcs.' He
answered, "Wcll, sir, SO should | be
If there were many of them; but I
think those few can't do any harm,
and we may as we'll finish the field
now the hurdles are here" The next
time WAS over and saw the shepherd
he said, 1--WE have done pretty job
by feeding these young turnips; the
ewes have been altering for the worse
ever since they on them" This was
about six or seven weeks before lamb.
ing time. went to look at the ewes !;
| found many of them WET and
stained behind they had lost the
bright look in the countenance, and
had languid sort Of walk, with the
head rather dropping. About three
score cast their lambs, and many
more produced sickly ones. II time
and space would allow mo l could
mention other instances that como
to my knowledge where a few days
mismanagcmcnt was the cause of
much mischief. If my experience is
worth auythinll it amounts to this:
A flock of breeding ewes require,
from one years end to the other, COIL
slant regular attention; to DC kept
in rs uniform condition as circum-
stances will permit; to be ted upon
sound, healthy food at the time the
tubs are with them and to havo a
portion of dry food all through the
winter months. DON'T spare tho
pocket in wet and severe weather
keep this condition up, SO that you
have not to force them on just before
tho lambing time, and never give
them Il sudden large increase Of sue
culent food.-Cor. London Live Stock
Journal.