No. 63.J 275 



malaria, and those insects that are so annoying to the cattle and sheep 

 of many other States and Territories. 



That every variety of sheep will thrive well in the same latitudes 

 of country, is not to be supposed^ and even the best breeds of Me- 

 rinoes may not succeed in all parts of the United States. It has 

 been eti'ectually proved, that sheep of the finer breeds cannot thrive 

 well in England and Ireland, probably owing in part to the humidity 

 of that climate. 



Where breeders are desirous to propagate more of one sex than of 

 the other, if males ^ they may be multiplied by selecting ewes of less 

 vigor, over or under middle age; those that have not arrived to a 

 perfect state, and others that have arrivetl to maturity and now on 

 the decline, and also feebler ewes of any age; and let in bucks that 

 are healthy and in full prime, say four and five years old, and let them 

 tup no more than five or six each day. The elfcct will be that moie 

 buck than ewe lambs will be generated. The reverse will produce 

 the contrary eifect; that is, use young bucks, or old and more feeble 

 ones, with healthy vigorous ewes, from four to six years old, and let 

 the buck remain with the flock wliile in use, and more females will 

 be Ibund among the lambs than males. 



It desirous to propagate a stock of sheep that shall resemble the 

 buck in form, color and fleece, put him out in the day time among 

 the ewes, and keep him from them nights. The lambs theieby will 

 more of them be marked after the sire than there can be found to re- 

 semble the female; but if the ewes are covered by night, their off- 

 spring will most of them resemble the female. In trying the ex- 

 periment fairly, the night should be dark, and a marked contrast in 

 the sexes. I have seen it fairly demonstrated by dividing equally a 

 flock of ewes, a daik gummy buck being let into one fold by night 

 and into the other by day. In the two flocks there was a striking 

 ditfeience in color and shape among the lambs. I have also noticed 

 many flocks of lambs that were the offspring from bucks that were 

 tended, that is, only remaining with the ewes an hour or so each day. 

 The lambs produced by them invariably are more even in form and 

 fleece, and mostly resemble the sire. Many careful and distinguish- 

 ed English breeders of neat stock and horses, agree that the male has 

 more influence than the female on the offspring. I think this influ- 

 ence is nothing more nor less, and is effected only by the practice of 

 covering in the day time. A syni'paihetic infiuence is active in mark- 

 ing the progeny. 



Of all animals, perhaps none are more sensitive and sympathetic than 

 the sheep, partaking of the same nature they maintained in the days 

 of Jacob of old. It is recorded that he caused his flocks to be brown, 

 ring-streaked, speckled and spotted, by laying before them rods of 

 different colors at the time of conception. Let a black sheep, say 

 wether, run among a flock of one hundred ewes at the time of coha- 

 biting, and you need not be disappointed if you raise some black 

 lambs. I have had lambs colored like tiie fox, with a tail more bushy 

 than ordinarily, the end of which whiter than the rest of the fleece; 

 also had them black and white, resembling the skunk; also of agrey- 



