Sheep In The Orchard

Tho prnr.lirpnf keoiiiiijï shocp ifl flio applo-orobimi l'roin the timo the fruit letrins lo fiill till Ihe npproach ofcolil wivill'Pr, is i:iniiig favor wltcrovcr it lins liecn in rmiucntl. Mus! oroliartlisis reconnr.cn ' wc l'ni'j an on'linr 1 t rrass:is goon :is the Ireesnw suilirienlIv lnric U producen fair erop of fruit TnfMrt.it is diffliull to cultívate the Kiil flficr Iliii peiiod without doinij moro Inwin t i u m good i tho trees. - CoiiRinnt plowinï is likoly lo re-tilt in hni'king tiif trtinks of' tlif trees, il] hre&kiiig 1 min th.it are noiir the proi ni i nnd In iiijuiiiijr the roo is Lhat are ne-ir tltfl surfacc. No erop offtuy con-idcrable vahío ciin lc niiocl nfter the tices air large Piioltxll lo sliadc most of i lic laniT. lt is (liilictilt to on i .er app!ps in :m orelmri) wheie tl ie (round betwocn the trees luis been reccutly plowed. Apples are most oasily harvcsted in nn orchni'il vvliero tlin snrtnoo of the ground is coviM'ccl witli short, soft ffi-nis. Tl is dilfi.-ul; to mow tho rrass in llic orcliftrd ritlior wilh n nmcliino orfi liiunl-scythe. Ifa nmcliiiic Musotl it is likciy 'to bo injure!. The ;. riss th.'it rriiws in nu orcliard i-i wauloil as r fertiliWM' i'or llie trees, and sluiild hc rniployed fir tlmt iiurpucc. Hykcepililf shcop in n n orchard Iheorass will liekept short, and iienrlyall iliewceds nnd Mickcra ilestroywl. Slieep wil) nniDCtimc ent the hark or' irees if Hiere isa scaivity of' food and water, but this liabit iii.'ty be prevoutcd by occnsioimlly the tril aks of the trees vv í til sonic Sllbstftiiec tlial will render llie bork distastefiil. - Slioin will keep the grasa i 11 nu oreliaiil short, ml cuirsc it t bouome thickaiid Boft, SO. til Ut il).les f.illillji iipon it at harve-t-iime will not be iiijnred. Bv keepiiür slieep in an orcliard llie fertilitV of the soil is iisurel, and the trees ke.pt in a thní'iy state, lf not moro tkau ion sheep aro kept oueaoli nevo. !n tivos, fhc :'a5s and tlïn applos tWt feil in cojisoquciicc of boing bitten by insee s. or on accuuilt of llie winds', will furnish theill n suliieient supplv of food. Tho niimbcr of slieep intiv bo inorono(l to su pplying smne jfrnln whif.li mny be fed out in lonboxes raiscd a short distanco fróm the erround or ulaceddirectlyon thegiiisa, A dn i ly rat ion offtnin wil] he ver y benelieial lo glieep that are eating siiceulent food as ürass that irows in the simde and juiey apples, as it siipplica the elenients of food that nrc iftCking in these substanees. In fact theiis eau be no bel ter. variety presented than gras, appleü, and eorn or oats. By feedin?con8iderablofraintargo number of sheep may be kept in au orchard witl.l the greatest advantage both to the animáis and trees. Tlio iiianure of sheep is not only very rich in fertilizihg material, but it is well distribuied. The presence of tliedroppings of sheep under trees whcre truit is to be gathered is not objectionable ns is that of the droppings of cattle and horses. "When stieep are kept in orchards pains should be taken to supply them with tlt and water. lf thcre is no water on the groimd, and there is none iu the majority of casea, the sheep should be let out at least once a day and allowed to go to a spring, Btream, or wcll. lf tliey aro í'ed orain on their return frotn watering they will requiro no driving. Sheep are of great ad van lage to an orchard in desiroying the eodling moth, which is at present tho worst pest of the apple. A larga portion of the apples that fall froni the linio they iirst set till they get ripe coutaiu wornis, which are the causo of their becoining detachcd Ironi tho tree. - Slieep cat all these apples and thereby prevent a new brood of ïnoths froiu returning to tho trees, it is true that all tlio apples that contaiu wonns do not fall bolöre they are ripe. Many reinain on the treo till harvest time and are gathered nnd taken to the cclJar. Still, shecp, when they havo tho run of au orchard, keep li-e inotha in check.