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ON INCLOSING LAND

tecting the sheep from snow drifts and heavy storms. Othersreckon sheep-cots likewise necessary *.

Besides all these conveniences, no sheep farm can be reck-oned complete, unless it possesses some inclosures of arableland, and meadows. One ploughgate of land in cultivation,divided into a series of well-inclosed fields, and kept under ajudicious rotation of crops, will add very highly to the valueof the farm ; by furnishing turnips and artificial grasses forthe support and improvement of the sheep stock, which willafford manure, in return, for fertilizing the soil of the culti-vated land.

Supposing a sheep farm to be arranged according to the prin-ciples of the foregoing observations, all its fences ought to becomposedof well-builtstone-dikes or walls, at least five feet high.The common pasture or flock-rake ought to have various plan-tations of forest trees, especially pines, similarly fenced. Andthere ought to be extensive belts of forest trees fenced in thesame manner, having good pasture contiguous, for the ewesand lambs in the season of parturition. To these ought tobe added various inclosures under grass; as a tup-park, anhospital-park, an inclosure containing watered meadow, orother early grass; and, lastly, the inclosures for cultivation,and the hay meadow. Those intended for the plough oughtnot to be fewer than four, but more if possible ; and oughtto contain as much land, at least, as one plough is capable oflabouring. The hay meadow should consist of drained bogs,or other coarse pieces of land, richly improved by means oftop-dressings, and appropriated to the production of hay forcattle. It may farther be observed, that the whole or mostof these inclosures may be separated from the common sheepwalks, by means of the substantial dike formerly described ;while the subdivision fences may be constructed in a less ex-pensive manner.

* Such cots are now erecting by Lord Somerville, at his sheep farm in Lam-jpnermuir.