746 Journal of Agriculture. [10 Dec, 1908^ 



sorts of well grown merino ewes should go to thick set, good fleeced 

 Lincoln rams. 



Good sorts of coarse Lincoln-merino ewes should go to good shaped 

 Downs rams for farmers raising export lambs, and to level made plain 

 bodied merino rams for woolgrowers. 



This country is one of the very best for lamb raising. But all the 

 natural advantages and best of feed will not make prime quality lambs, 

 unless they are reared from roomy good shaped ewes and begot by level 

 made rams of a breed suited to correct whatever faults the ewes are 

 inclined to. 



MERINO RAMS. 



{Continued from -page 651.) 



The horns of ram lambs should be cut when weaned, an ordinary pair 

 of bull-nosed hedge cutters answering the purpose. If allowed to go 

 later they will pluck the wool from each other, especially if they have 

 to be yarded or fed at troughs in severe autumns. Starlings are often 

 blamed for such plucks caused by sharp pointed horns, and rats and mice 

 have been blamed for the same thing when rams have been housed and 

 penned together in sheds over night. If ram lambs about the age of three 

 to four months are in the yard for any purpose their horns can then be 

 cut with a strong pocket knife. They are soft and cut easily. 



Close horned rams are an evil, as they are responsible for wethers with 

 horns growing into the eyes and jaws. Close homed rams are also often 

 narrow framed. With a special stud ram the horns should stand out 

 from the cheek from two to three inches, and be as nearlv as possible 

 parallel with the cheek bone. In full wool there should be room to run 

 the fingers round easily between the wool and the horn. If a two-tooth 

 ram shows signs of close horns he will be worse when older. Ugly as 

 an extremely wide horned ram may appear, he is preferable to a narrow 

 horned one. The size of horn should be in proportion to the size of the 

 ram. A light effeminate horn is objectionable and so is a coarse heavy 

 horn. Extremes in either case are evils. 



There are horns showing good breeding, but this varies with age, a 

 young ram not showing to advantage in this respect beside a four or five 

 year old. 



Before joining rams with the ewes, it is as well to see that their hoofs 

 are the natural shape. In most sheep districts where there is not sufficient 

 grit in the ground to keep the feet worn into shape they grow long, and 

 rams with long toes are at a disadvantage in following up or teasing ewes. 

 Any deformed feet should be cut into their natural shape, with a strong 

 foot-rutting knife, or with a strong pair of secateurs. 



The wool from about the pizzle should be cleared awav thoroughly, 

 especially in burry country. It is always difficult to get shearers to clear 

 the wool thoroughly from about the eyes, tails, and pizzles of ram lambs. 

 In most cases this ought to be done within a few weeks after shearing. 

 Where men are available, stud lambs can be gone through in the count out 

 pens or the branding race at shearing time. However bad thev may have 

 been left by the shearers this opportunity should be taken to have them 

 properly cleaned about the tails and eyes. 



Rams passed before shearing for carrying an even fleece of the correct 

 class of combing wool should after being shorn be again run through the 

 yards. Those that are unshapely and show signs of weakness about the 

 forequarters should then be finallv discarded. — H.W.H. 



