low wet grounds protected from storms, inundations, &c., near a spring or: creek for watering the sheep. On the estates of nobles this kind of building is generally of a pleasant appearance and built in conformity to the teachings of experience. They are mostly brick buildings with a tile roof. They are very roomy, and it is generally calculated that 4 ewes with their lambs require a space of 6 feet square, where 6 ewes with their lambs find room, there can be placed 8 wethers or 12 head of yearlings. In a stable.. where 500 ewes can be housed, there is room for 666 wethers or rams, or for 1000 head of yearlings. The oblong form is found the best, from 30 to 36 feet in width.

Fig. 43, shows the front view of such an oblong stable.

Fig. 44, represents the ground plan with interior arrangements for the

mangers.

The walls a, b, are 5 feet high including the foundation; above ground they are 4 feet in height; c, d, e, f, are doors; c, d, are 74 feet wide and 7 feet high; c and f, are 5 feet wide and 6 feet high; g, g, g, g, g, &c., are windows with shutters to slide; the windows are 14 feet wide and one foot high. The walls are one foot thick; in cold climates it will be necessary to make the walls thick, especially toward the north, and of the stables intended for ewes with lambs.

Every 6 feet along the wall is a pillar of brick, h, h, h, h, to give the building more strength.

The construction of the roof is simple. See Figs. 45 and 47; there is a floor to stow hay upon; many sheep breeders prefer stables without floors, because the dust and small particles of hay and straw passing the boards upon the sheep injures the wool.

See

There are some openings in the roof for the air to circulate,-on each side of the walls are mangers K, one foot wide of the construction, page 283. Fig. 41, is a side view with the rack let down. Fig. 40, afront view, and Fig. 42, a side view with the rack put up, when charged with hay, and in the position for the sheep to feed from.

In the middle of the stables are similar mangers for two rows of sheep. During the lamb seasons, the lamb nens are put up in the warmest cor

ner of the stable. Fig. 46, shows the mode of putting them together in order to allow room for the shepherd to walk around it, and to see whether

the ewes suckle their lambs or not. During the lamb season the shepherd sleeps in the stable near by the lamb pen.

Fig. 49 represents a front view of a stable as it is built at the estate of the vice-roy of Hungary at Alcsúth.

Fig. 48, section showing the blank roof and floor for the storage of fodder. Fig. 50, the ground plan.

At Von Thäer's the entrance at each door of the sheep stable consists of

an inclined path, of the width of the door, the object of which is to prevent ewes in a state of pregnancy from being pressed or squeezed against the side of the door on entering the stable. The door is about one foot from the ground, to it leads the inclined path as seen in Fig. 39, and this path holds just as many sheep, as there are spaces between the door posts, should a sheep force its way to the door, it will displace an other on the side, which has to jump off, and take its turn with the rest; whereby no injury is done ind to ewes in a high state of dal pregnancy.

X.-General Rules for Pasturing Merino Sheep.

First. Take good care, that your sheep are never brought upon low wet ground or morasses.

Second. When the localities permit it, there should be a regular change in the pasture lands; for instance bring your sheep

(a) In a wet rainy season or day, upon mountainous or hilly ground. When the weather is dry and clear, feed them upon flat lands or

vallies.

(c) In cold, stormy weather lead them under the cover of forests or bushwood.

(d) In winter, when there is a dry frost and when the ground is free from snow, you may lead your flocks upon wheat or rye fields.

Thirdly. The pasture lands which are considered the best and nearest ought to be used.

(a) For the ewes with lambs and yearlings, and for such lambs which have been separated from their mothers.

(b) The farthest from the sheep yard for wethers.

(c) The sheep intended to be sold to the butcher upon the lowest pasture lands.

Fourthly. Every shepherd must have a good dog to keep the sheep from injuring the crops when they are brought to them.

Fifthly. When the sheep are pastured in vallies, where there is a heavy dew, and the grass covered with spider-webs and other impurities, they must be driven first over the ground upon which they are pastured; the dog is used to drive them over it in all directions; this is done for the following

reasons:

(a) The rain carries down from the mountains or hills sand which is deposited upon the grass; in passing the sheep over such pasture lands, the sand is thrown off and the grass is rendered more suitable to feed the sheep upon.

If clay has been deposited upon the grass, the shepherd must not allow his flock to stop at all and feed upon such grass, which would be exceedingly unhealthy for them; he must avoid such places, until the clay has become perfectly dry upon the grass, when the sheep are driven over first, before they are permitted to touch it.

Great injury may be done to the flocks in such vallies or flats, even if there has been no clay deposited upon the grass; when the sheep are fed upon the luxuriant grass after they have received salt but no water, they overload their stomachs and are liable to disease.

(b) A certain species of spiders is to be found among the grass, and sometimes in such quantities that they are eaten by the sheep with the grass; this has not however a very bad result but causes a slight purgation. When the sheep are driven over the ground first, the spiders fly to their

retreat.

The cobwebs (filum virginis) with which the stubble-fields and grass are covered in the autumn, seem to have injurious effect upon the sheep; when a sheep is opened after having fed upon such lands as are covered with cobwebs, there is not a trace of them to be found in their stomachs. When the sheep are passed over such fields or grass land, the cobwebs are taken off by the legs of the sheep.

Sixthly. During the mid-day sun the sheep ought to be brought under a

shade or shady trees. When the pasture lands are too far from the sheep vard, there ought to be proper shades erected where trees are not in sufficient number, to give shelter from the sun, rain and hail.

Seventhly. The healthiest pastures should be reserved for the lambs, that the delicate animals, after they have been separated from their dams may find a substitute for the nourishing milk, and not be too much retarded in their growth.

Eighthly. In the spring avoid all pastures, where there are briars, bushes, and woods with short undergrowth; because the sheep will lose their wool in such places; avoid also pine woods, because the pine needles which fall continually from these trees will become entangled in the wool and depreciate its value. After the shearing, such pastures can be used without injury to the sheep and wool.

Ninthly. Nothing is so injurious to sheep and wool as a sudden fright. In the night when they are penned in the open field, and there is a storm approaching with heavy thunder, the shepherd must walk around the pen and talk to them, in order to quiet them. When they get much frightened, they rush to one side of the hurdles upset it and break loose.

Tenthly. In the hot season the shepherd should lead his flock in such directions as to keep the sun behind it; in order that their bodies may give shade to their heads, and he should keep them as far apart as possible, to allow the air a free circulation among them.

Eleventhly. Guide your flocks always slowly, especially on rising grounds. Should the shepherd neglect this precaution, particularly in hot weather, the sheep become overheated and liable to dangerous attacks.

Twelfthly. When the sheep are brought upon the stubble-fieids, observe the following rules:

(a) Bring first, the lambs upon it.

The ewes; and then

(c) The rams and wethers.

Thirteenthly. As it is the rule not to bring the flocks upon the pasture in the morning before the air has dried up the dew and frost; it is also a rule to bring them in the stable or pen when the dew begins to appear. Fourteenthly. A shepherd should always carry with him—

(a) A lancet.

(b) A sharp knife.

(c) A small tin box filled with tar.

Another with sulphate of copper

That in case an accident should happen, he may bleed the animal; or when he observes a sheep to walk lame and he finds the foot heated, indicating a disposition to foot-rot, he may remove the hoof with the knife and apply copperas, over which he has to put a layer of tar.

XI.-Dimensions to be observed in purchasing Merino Sheep.

(With a Drawing and Table.)

In purchasing merinos, Petri lays down the fellowing dimensions as important to be observed:

Plate IV, Fig. 23, is the outline of a merino sheep, with dimensions marked upon it.

1. The length of the vertebra c, to the tail rogt d, when taken twice, must