ON THE LIVE-STOCK.
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qualities of pasture, which in a great measure determine thestore-farmer to occupy his land with, 1. A breeding stock;or, 2. A breeding and rearing stock; or, 3. A breeding andfattening stock.
1. A Breeding Stock.
1. By this expression, is meant a stock of ewes, the lambsof which are all sold, except such a proportion of the ewe-lambs as are required to be reared, for supplying the place ofthe old ewes drafted and sold annually. A greater or lessproportion of lambs must be reared, according to the age atwhich the ewes are sold. If they are sold after nursing theirthird lamb, which is the common practice, a number of ewelambs, equal to a third part of the ewes, and to the usual ca-sualties, must be selected and reared pnnually for keeping upthe stock.
2. Farms which are adapted to a stock of this kind, arecommonly of a moderate, or rather a small size, and of a qua-lity of pasture nearly uniform, or but little diversified. Asa great part of the profits of the occupier depends on thesale of lambs, it is of much importance to bring them to mar-ket in high condition, and for this purpose, to be able togive turnips to the ewes for a few weeks in spring, that theymay have abundance of milk. Many of these farms are onthe skirts of the Cheviot hills, and contain a small portion ofarable land for turnips; and when turnips cannot be raised athome, the ewes are often sent to turnips on lower grounds,and brought home before the lambing season. This is par-ticularly necessary and advantageous with gimmers, who arein lamb for the first time, and do not milk so well as theolder ewes.
The principal points that deserve attention in the manage-ment of a breeding stock, shall be mentioned in the order oftime, beginning with the period from November to May, andthen proceeding with the other six months from May to No-vember.