460 Transactions of the 



remembering that quickness and dispatch constitute the one secret of 

 success, cut off the end of the scrotum, pull out the testicles "root and 

 all" — after which you cut off any end of the cord that may have broken 

 off long enough to hang outside. Some operators now apply a salve; 

 tar rubbed up in lard is used by many; others prefer sulphur and lard. 

 I have got my best results b} r promptly driving the lambs with their 

 mothers through running water that the lambs can just get through 

 without swimming. This washes and appears to "cool them off." Any 

 little bunches of lambs running about the corral after castration should 

 be stirred up and encouraged to go with their mothers. For " docking " 

 and "marking" which accompany this operation, see further on. 



Occasional!}*, but very rarely, whether from hernia or other cause, a 

 lamb will be detected with the entrails protruding from the wound you 

 have caused. This must be washed off at once; turning him on his back, 

 the intestines are pushed gently back again and a stitch or two taken 

 with needle and thread. With ordinary luck, the lamb will be saved. 

 This protrusion sometimes takes place long after castration and after 

 the wound has healed up. The lamb is then among shepherds termed a 

 " busting," and may be mistaken for a ram. Lambs sometimes bleed 

 badly. I do nothiug for it. I never had one bleed to death. The moon 

 is held by many professional (and intelligent) shepherds to influence the 

 success of this operation. Of course, I have not been able to detect this 

 influence — but may remark that if the shepherd in charge of lambs 

 makes up his mind that the} T are going to die, they are apt to do it; and 

 if he make up his mind they are to live, they are apt to do that. Now 

 if he possess strong convictions as to the influence of the " moon's sign," 

 and it do not cost too much time to have the " sign right," and the result 

 is to convert the shepherd from the mental attitude of foreboding to that 

 of hopefulness, it is manifestly worth while to have the sign right. And 

 I have no doubt that the moon exercised a distinct influence (in this 

 sense) on the castration of many a flock. 



DOCKING. 



Docking is done at the same time as castration. It may be done with 

 a mallet and chisel, but if the operator will take the trouble to push back 

 the skin before making the cut, the knife is preferable. Catch the tail 

 in the left hand, push toward the body of the lamb, feeling at the same 

 time for the joint. Now draw the knife quickly across the joint, and 

 the work is done. The skin thus cut long covers the end uf the tail 

 and heals up sooner. The knife often misses the joint, but no matter, so 

 that the tail comes off at about the place desired. It is not worth while 

 to make a second cut for the sake of getting off the piece of bone, for 

 it will soon slough off, and the little fellow has been used badly enough 

 by this time without having a second cut taken at his tail. The lamb 

 may bleed freely from this operation also, and the bleeding may be 

 stopped by searing the two veins on each side of the bone with a red- 

 hot iron (if at a white heat it would cause less pain). I have used 

 these very seldom, and have never seen a lamb die from bleeding at the 

 tail alone. 



MARKING. 



Marking is only done to distinguish bands of sheep running on large 

 ranges, or where it is desired to keep a record of each sheep, as in breed- 

 ing thoroughbreds. Ear marking may be done either with the knife or 



