"A curious and unexpected result was brought to light by Mr Pawlett, and is thus related in his own words,--'Being aware that it was the custom of some sheep-breeders to wash the food,--such as turnips, carrots, and other roots,--for their sheep, I was induced also to try the system; and as I usually act cautiously in adopting any new scheme, generally bringing it down to the true standard of experience, I selected for the trial two lots of lambs. One lot was fed, in the usual manner, on carrots and swedes _unwashed_; the other lot was fed exactly on the same kinds of food, but the carrots and swedes were _washed_ very clean every day: they were weighed before trial, on the 2d December, and again on the 30th December, 1835. The lambs fed with the unwashed food gained each 7-1/2 lb., and those on the washed gained 4-3/4 lb. each; which shows that those lambs which were fed in the usual way, without having their food washed, gained the most weight in a month by 2-3/4 lb. each lamb. There appears to me no advantage in this method of management--indeed animals are fond of licking the earth, particularly if fresh turned up; and a little of it taken into the stomach with the food must be conducive to their health, or nature would not lead them to take it.'" Another experiment on the fattening properties of different breeds of sheep, under similar treatment, quoted from the _Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England_, is also deserving the attention of our readers:-- "Experiments were made in 1844-5 on the Earl of Radnor's farm at Coleshill, on the comparative fattening properties of different breeds of sheep under the same treatment. The sheep consisted of Leicesters, South-downs, half-breds,--a cross between the Cotswold and South-down--and Cotswolds. The sheep, being then lambs, were divided into lots of three each of each breed, and were grazed four months, from 29th August 1844 to 4th January 1845, when they were put on hay and swedes for three months, from 4th January to the 31st of March following. While on grass, the different breeds gained in weight as follows:-- lb. lb. The Leicesters being 46 each, gained 10-1/2 each. South-downs 47 " 11 Half-breds 44-1/2 " 12 Cotswolds 56-1/2 " 10-1/2"