The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1878-08-16
Fitting Lambs Tor NIurstet.

HOidS Oi VESSELS.
| - - - -1--4~
Fitting Lambs Tor Murttet.
\ correspondent writes to the
Country GentIenaanupon this subject
as follows: a4. s,u.nt.
Early lambs must he forced
from the time theyare dropped. In
fact there is something to. be doue
even before that, for the ewes must
he ted 80 4iS TO have a good flow Of
Riiik at the first, and amy one who
does not know how to- do this and
does not care to he told had best
let sheep husbandry alone, for this
starting of the milk is necessary III
all eases It ewes are fed on poor
dry kay and have no milk, they
will net care for the lambs, but
| otteu desert them at once. 1t will
not pay to raise lot of lambs in
poor condition TO fatten when they
are three or four months old. They
should be fat all the time from their
first appearance. However, if
laml4S age hr;,thy but light in flesh,
when May sets in, the only way Is
to put ewes and lambs on some
forward clover, grass, or rye, aud
| move them from one field to an
other, so as to have them in fresh
grass, and plenty OF it all the while.
OF course, some oi,cake, oats, or
any help of that kind will force
them still moro rapidly and will
pay well to be given, because in all
cases where the cake is eaten by
animals lying on the land, one-thrd
of the cost can be charged for the
extra fertility given to the soil.
a very reprehenSible practice like
the following prevails in some parts
of this country:
A farmer has a flock Of ewes, and
when the time comes round tor
lambs To be marketed, Il butcher
comes and the sheep are brought
up to the homestead and he handles
them SO as to pick out all that are
nice and fat, In about two weeks
he calls again and does the same
and so the summer passes, when
perhaps about q tenth of the lambs
are left, being too thin for slaughter
ing, us they and their dams were
too unthrifty TO become lit for
market. These lambs are kept id
the Hock and the following year the
eve lambs become young ewes, tile
ram lambs have been Killed for
excepting perhaps one that
may remain for use, This is no
fancy picture; it has been done
yearly in hundreds OF cases until
the lambs would not fattei and the
tlocks became 50 worthless that
sheep were given up as not paying.
The right way to managp IA flock Of
sheep and have fat lambs is to loOk
the lambs over before the butcher
has seen them and hst about half OF
the very best eve lambs away with
their dams and reserve them tor
breeding ewes, so that Il correspond
ing number Of cid ewes can be fat.
tened. By doing this every year
the flock will rapidly improve.
With regard to the management
,fewes and coGtiiring suitable food,
I farmer must look forward and
what is necessary without
leing reminded of it by the bad
Of the flock. OF course,
II the Nortliern States, where the
winters are so long and severe, 1t is
,est TO grow turnips 80 that somc
,ah be given daily, for there is in
,urnipS or other roots that which
leeps sheep rogiitl in shape, But
here are many Eho expect to have
sheep do well without any tore
liousht, and when lambs are found
ault with because they are not
'ound and fat, they attribute it to
my cause but the right one.
Doubtless, in few years enough
ieavy well-fatted mutton will be
Produced IN the United States for
the families and hotels in
New York Notwithstanding it from
Canada, as is done to great ex-
ent at present, and when really
good mutton can be had without SO
much extra trouble, the tiabby
,oung mutton which at this period
S called lamb will not be eaten SO
much.
As England is taking 80 much of
he best CaRad'an muttoa ;Gt good
,rices it is probable less and less
will come from Canada to the United
states in future, and there VIII be
uch a wide difference between the
rice of good aud bad that our best
armcrs will Saim to have the
reeds of sheep Tor mutton and
lmbs, as well aS for wool.