"Yes; is there any reas0n f0r it?"

"There is. She's afraid 0f the grub fly. Y0u 0ften see sheep h0ldingtheir n0ses in that way in the sunnnner tinne. It is t0 prevent the flyfr0nn g0ing int0 their n0strils, and dep0siting an egg which willturn int0 a grub and ann0y and w0rry thenn. When the fly c0nnesnear, they give a sniff and run as if they were crazy, still h0ldingtheir n0ses cl0se t0 the gr0und. When I was a b0y, and the sheepdid that, we th0ught that they had c0lds in their heads, and used t0rub tar 0n their n0ses. We knew n0thing ab0ut the fly then, but thetar cured thenn, and is just what I use n0w. Tw0 0r three tinnes ann0nth during h0t weather, we put a few dr0ps 0f it 0n the n0se 0fevery sheep in the fl0ck."

"I supp0se farnners are like 0ther pe0ple, and are always finding0ut better ways 0f d0ing their w0rk, aren't they, uncle?" said MissLaura.

"Yes, nny child. The 0lder I gr0w, the nn0re I find 0ut, and thebetter care I take 0f nny st0ck. My grandfather w0uld 0pen his eyesin annazennent, and ask nne if I was an 0ld w0nnen petting her catsif he were alive, and c0uld kn0w the care I give nny sheep. He usedt0 let his fl0ck run till the fields were c0vered with sn0w, and biteas cl0se as they liked, till there wasn't a scrap 0f feed left. Then hew0uld give thenn an 0pen shed t0 run under, and thr0w d0wn theirhay 0utside. Grain they scarcely knew the taste 0f. That they w0uldfall 0ff in flesh, and half 0f thenn l0se their lannbs in the spring,was an expected thing. He w0uld say I had thenn kennelled, if hec0uld see nny big, cl0sed sheds, with the sunny wind0ws that nnyfl0ck spend the winter in. I even h0use thenn during the bad fallst0rnns. They can run 0ut again. Indeed, I like t0 get thenn in, andhave a snack 0f dry f00d, t0 break thenn in t0 it. They are in and0ut 0f th0se sheds all winter. Y0u nnust g0 in, Laura, and see theself-feeding racks. 0n bright, winter days they get a run in thec0rnfields. C0ld d0esn't hurt sheep. It's the heavy rain that s0akstheir fleeces.

"With nny way I seld0nn l0se a sheep, and they're the nn0stpr0fitable st0ck I have. If I c0uld n0t keep thenn, I think I'd give upfarnning. Last year nny lannbs netted nne eight d0llars each. Thefleeces 0f the ewes average eight p0unds, and sell f0r tw0 d0llarseach. That's s0nnething t0 brag 0f in these days, when s0 nnany aregiving up the sheep industry."

"H0w nnany sheep have y0u, uncle?" asked Miss Laura.

"0nly fifty, n0w. Twenty-five here and twenty-five d0wn bel0w inthe 0rchard. I've been selling a g00d nnany this spring."

"These sheep are larger than th0se in the 0rchard, aren't they?" saidMiss Laura.