FAEMERS' INSTITUTES. 343 



fleece long, fine, thick set, clear, white, aud even, extending over the whole body 

 and down to the hoof ; pink-colored skin on tlie body and scarlet red in the 

 flanks ; skin on the inside of the legs covered with soft, silky down. There is 

 110 hair on a pure bred merino sheep. 



Mr. Dryer urged that rams without horns are better than those which have. 

 Their progeny are less liable to have horns, and 100 wethers, all else being 

 equal, would sell for from $1o to $100 more than the same number with horns. 

 They are less pugnacious, and less liable to injure each other. Where the wool 

 grows between the horns and gets wet, there is no cliance for it to dry, espe- 

 cially where the horns grow close to tlie head. This is the case where the 

 Silesian blood predominates. The odor attracts flies, and they deposit their 

 eggs. In three or four days there are maggots, and in three or four days more 

 your sheep is dead. You look at him, and think he got hurt butting. Pains 

 should be taken to cut the wool from between the horns Arheii shorn, and jDlas- 

 ter thoroughly between neck and horns and around them witli common tar. In 

 a wet season it should be repeated two or three times. 



Dealers, when fitting sheep for market, often put them through the housing 

 and sweating process, which produces a uniform glossy, dark color. The whiter 

 the oil on the wool the darker will be the surface, because the white oil is more 

 limpid than the golden or gummy oil, and of course flows more readily and 

 freely to the surface, where it dries on. Sweating the animal whicli is facili- 

 tated by blanketing, gives the fleece an unnatural fine, silky feeling. The 

 process is exceedingly injurious to the constitution, vigor, aud health of the 

 animal. 



In 1865 I bought ten ewes, for which I paid 1^1,000. They were high, thor- 

 oughbred animals, in fine condition. I kept them in that condition through 

 two breeding seasons. They bore but few lambs, and of comparatively little 

 value. I then turned them out, giving them only common care. Two of them 

 soon died. The balance in about one year recovered from their debility, lived 

 to a good old age, and raised me many superior lambs. Their descendants form 

 my present flock. 



Mr. Dryer related an incident of a neighbor coming to him to buy a sheep. 

 Mr. D. selected a fine animal which he ofl'ered for $15. His neighbor wanted 

 a better sheep. He was told that four weeks' housing would make the sheep 

 just Avhat he wanted. The man did not believe it. Mr. Dryer received a flock 

 of sheep from the east and put the sheep above mentioned among them. The 

 particular neighbor came, looked over the eastern flock, selected the $15 sheep, 

 paid 840 therefor, and went his way, rejoicing to think that he had just the 

 sheep he Avanted. From 1863 to 1867 the demand for fitted sheep was so great 

 that the ordinary method of housing and sweating was too slow, and dealers 

 resorted to painting their sheep. 



Judges at our fairs are not always educated in the business, and make many 

 erroneous decisions. Superior animals are passed with little or no notice, and 

 inferior ones often receive tlie prize. Sheep cannot produce good, strong, 

 heavy fleeces of wool if infested with ticks. They are kept off with perfect suc- 

 cess by feeding one-twentieth part of sul^ohur with their salt. I have not sup- 

 ported a single tick, to my knowledge, in several years. 



Mr. Dryer gave some sensible suggestions in regard to feeding, shearing, and 

 the care of lambs. Erom the middle of October to the middle of January, in 

 our climate, about three-fourths of the wool is grown, for at this season of the 

 year the sheep is putting on his winter clothing. The effort should be assisted 



