12S

ON THE LIVE-STOCK

general a practice as formerly, though still a common one onmany, if not most farms. It is very rarely that a lamb can-not get at the teat without udder-locking, and there is proba-bly more loss than advantage in the measure. What rendersit very doubtful if the practice is founded in expediency is,that even the hogs who have no lambs undergo the same ope-ration,

9. On those farms, where the hogs have been allowed topasture through winter promiscuously with the ew r es, whichis seldom permitted on the Cheviot hills, a separation shouldalways take place at the commencement of the lambing sea-son, and the lowest and finest part of the pasture ought to beexclusively appropriated to the nursing ewes.

10. The ewes begin to drop their lambs in the first or se-cond week of April, according to the time at which the ramswere admitted •, and such as have twins generally lamb amongthe first of the flock. At this season, the most constant at-tention is indispensable on the part of the shepherds, both tothe ewes in labour and to the newly dropped lambs. Thoughthe Cheviot ewes are not so liable to losses in parturition, assome larger breeds which are in higher condition, and thoughthey make good nurses, unless they are very lean and theirfood scanty, yet, among a large flock, there are always a num-ber that need assistance in lambing, and in a late spring nota few who have not milk sufficient for their lambs, particular-ly among the gimmers or young ewes. Besides, the lambsare not so well covered as the blackfaced, and if dropped insevere weather, sometimes in snow, several of them are neverable to rise to the teat, and speedily perish, or are forsakenby their dams. A careful shepherd at this time always carriesa bottle of milk along with him, which he drops from his ownmouth into that of the lamb that may need it,—brings theewes that have little milk to a better pasture, or to turnips,—and confines such as have forsaken their Iambs in a small penor barrack, as it is called, temporarily erected in some partof the farm-steading. The same confinement is necessary