The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1893-05-13

A writer for the Ohio. Farmer, says
turning sheep to pasture in the spring is
an instance where the old adage applies:
sit is best to make haste slowly" Wait
until the ground is somewhat settled
and dry When the ground is very soft
on light sods and meadows, sheep will
tramp out more grass in a day than
they could later eat out in several.
Sheep being lighter do not indeed,
poach the ground as do cattle, but their
feet are small and sharp and they are
more rowing in their nature so that
they do great damage to young grass.
They also injure clover greatly by pull
ing it out. The writer quoted above
says: lis .
For the first few days they should he
allowed upon the pastures an hour a
day. If left out long enough to allow
them to gorge themselves with the
young juicy gIass, they make their
sheds filthy when returning to them,
and to make the transfer from shed
and yard to the pasture at once is very
d%eleterious. There will be a loss to
flesh and condition for the first few
weeks.
Fattening sheep, unless they are to be
kept on into the early summer, will do
better not to leave their winter quart
ers for the fresh, washy grass. In the
season sheep will make NJ gain from
grass during the month Of April. Bet
ter shear the first warn days in April
and send to market. I say. shear. 1t
is to be noted that during that month
there is not enough difference made
over clipped sheep to justify feeders in
shipping well wooded sheep in fleece.
With ewes sucking lambs equal Gale
needs to be taken. Young grass will
increase the flow of milk but will
weaken it in quality and the lambs will
suffer. The best direction than can be
given is to make the splice as long as
possible. Where the fiocks cannot be
returned to the sheds each evening for
a feed Of hay some provision should be
made to feed them in their pasture.
For the grain feed at this time corn
and oats are better adapted than bran
and oil meal, for the laxative grass
needs a complement OF counter tend
ency
For those who plan to have their
ldIlDS ufOppcu Ii spin IL VIA NC LAAC
most trying. The cold showers Of that
month that often come up so unexpect-
edly when the flock is out and the
hockmaster busy with other spring
work are most damaging. A young
lamb can endure intense cold if kept
dry and out Of currents of air, but It
will quickly perish in Il cold rain. With
this consideration as one reason, I
think, it much easier to raise lambs in
February and March than In April. I
am then able to be with ewes more,
noting the characteristics Of each as to
her breeding, and this Is indispensable
In grading up a flock. We must strive
to make every sheep q profitable one.
Mark the ewes that yean triling little
lambs, those that do not w their
lambs or do not suckle well; those that
fail to yean q lamb, and those that may
chance to have a teat cut by sheaTers
OF in tagging. a second year OF obser-
vation will determine whether any such
ewes should remain In your flock, and
IL not in yours then no ones else.
some Pointers Abont Planting
R~aspberries.
In a paper before the Northern Illinois
Horticultural Society, n. r. Gotta said
that raspberries II as sure az corn,
and the ripening time covers q wider
period than that Of other small fruits.
A rich, deep, fine, well pulyerized soil
Is necessary. He plants Reds ID the fall
or spring, and the Blacks at the latter
season; the Reds III burrows and the
Blacks in rows. Tor early Red he pre-
{nrs the Turner and Tor late Cuthbert.