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Show THE SHEPHERD'S WORK IN AUTUMN While tho shepherd's work ia never done there are seasons when his work Is heavier and more important than others, and when the leaves begin to assume tho yellow tints great changes have to be made and preparations put in hand for the winter. Mating of the ewes is in full process. Not only is it essential to provide rams capable of producing good stock, but the ewes should be Qualified to breed Improved offspring. A yearling ram should be taken for choice, whilo tho two-shear or three-shear three-shear may answer, but no older one is permissible. There aro flock masters who use lamb-rams, but unless it be some such active, hardy breed as the Horn Dorset, Dor-set, and those early dropped at that, it is better not to adapt these young sires, and even if adapted, in 6ome exceptional cases, only a dozen or a score of ewes should go to each. It Is Important that the shepherd sees that all of his breeding ewes are sound In their feet free from foot-rot and other defects, and in truth healthy in every way, for unhealthy ewes are not likely to Improve the flock The practice of breeding from lamb-mothers lamb-mothers is to be strongly condemned, as thoy are all unmatured and incapable in-capable of producing up-to-the-staud-ard progeny or doing the nursing part well. Tho good shepherd shrewdly classes his charges so that the strong and robust may be separated from tho weakly and delicate. Then, by a little nursing, probably in the course of a month or two, even tho lattor will have gained in strength and hardiness, so that thoy may take their feed as it comes, and in an ordinary placo in the fold. There aro also breeding eweB to be paid due attention. They should be given fresh, sound old turf-laud where they may get plonty of exercise and yet restful quarters. From tho time the ram Is removed tho less disturbance disturb-ance In moving about the flocks the better. Other important work for the shepherd shep-herd to pay earnest regard to about this season is finishing off the ripening or fattening ewes, getting ready for the market tho cull ewes, topping up shearlings and disposing of tho theavos that are not to go for the breeders. There aro in fact, to bo cleared off before winter sets in in earnest tho ?ld members of the flock, to give sufficient suffi-cient space for the new. It is when tho goiug-off aud the new-flocks new-flocks meet and lap over that tho shepherd is sorely triod to And provision provi-sion for all. Gras3 is going off nt svery hand, and yet there must be no itlntiag of the going-off flocks, lest :hey hang on all the longer before bong bo-ng fit to go, while it would be sul-:idal sul-:idal to stint tho golng-ou sheep igalnst a trying season, for any check low in the thriving state would not be ecov. r 'I nil cit . r long. Of all tho losses we get among our leevy-sided ewes few aro brought ibout so commonly as cheeking the hriving condition Just beforo winter jets in. There may not be mortality to 6lg-llfy 6lg-llfy there and thou, or thero may be, jut fatality stalks when tho sharp frosts and deep snows obtain, and 03 regards the ewes, when the critical time of yeaning comes Nor is mutton and progeny all we achieve by good management among our sheep. There is the wool. Here is a second profit And Is that all? No, it is not There Is the Improvement of the land from the golden hoof and the better the flocks aro supported so the wool la tho moro profuse and the land the better fertilised. |