3l8o3i' OntheMafiageincntofSheep. 163 



to the old Scotch "^ kind, the laiter having a tendency to deteriorate 

 the breed beyond tliat any can coaccive. The greater the iinii- 

 larity in colour betwixt the face and legs, tlie truer ii the kind, 

 let it be of what defcription it will. The forehead flbould be 

 -rough, the horns (hould be well turned, and the ribs arched ; and 

 indeed the horns and ribs naturally bend into the fame poiition. 



Much attention cannot be paid to the wool in a breeding stock. 

 To. have the fheep equally clothed is a principal article, as the 

 wool is apt to turn fhort upon the PnouKler, an imperfection to be 

 guarded againfl: ; as it announces that fuch individuals and their 

 olFspring will degenerate into long-bodied fmall fore-quartered ani- 

 mals; and inclines me to think that this is their form in an undo- 

 meflicated Hate, as it requires care and attention to keep them 

 from reverting to it. 



But as it is principally from the ram that a (lock receives its 

 general mould andfhape, thefele6lion of a right kind is far from be- 

 ing unimportant. The qualities of a good ram are. Long and well- 

 turned horns, a long black face, fore-head rough and flightly ting- 

 ed with brown, cheit itraight and long nofe long and uoltrils wide. 

 When the nof^- is fhort, and the no:>rils ftrait, it is a certain fign 

 of a dwarf, and when the face is a bare jet fpreading directly to 

 the ileece, it indicates that the diftant pollerity will be liable to 

 adventitious fpots. 



A head thus exa^lly fJled rarely fails of haying a carcafe every 

 way proportional, as the general fpread of the head is indicative 

 of "he general mould of the whole fyftem ; the properties of 

 ^whlch Ihoiild be, The fore-quarters deep and heavy over the 

 ihoulders, the TiCck fhould bend upv>'ards a little, fhould be well 

 clothed with wool, clofe to the horns and cheek \ the back fliould 

 be ftraight ; the flioulder a little higher than the back ; the bend 

 of the ribs wide ; wide above the ears, w hich is a genuine mark 

 •of a true ihort flieep ; and free from grey hairs in the tail. 



If a farmer wlfhes to keep the foreit breed entire, w^ool muii 

 not be even a subordinate confideration. I would regard it only 

 in fo far as it teftifies the purity of the breed 3 for a hngle crofs 

 with Cheviot rams, will do inilnitely more for ameliorating this ar- 

 ticle than the mod fkilful management for alongcourfe of years. I 

 •ihallonlyobferve, that the woollhouldbe thicker andcloferin the pile 



on 



' * This alliance has been formed at a very remote period ; hut when a fheep oi" 

 this defcription happens among a ftock, it evidences the blood to be tuiclured, 

 and its tendency to throw is inconceivable. For j^example, a black or i'pottc-d 

 ewe will have a lamb notjiing difcoloured ; its produce again will Hill be white, 

 but in the fourth or fifth generation its propenfity to throw after its black or i'pottcd ' 

 anceftor will be invincible, and will continue for a ferits of years_, till the colour 

 change to that of the rdl 01 die ftock. 



