436 MODERN FARRIER. ' 



the sheep, with the quantity and quality of the 

 wool ; and also render them less subject to diseases. 

 In all these respects, it is allowed by good judges, 

 that 500 kept well, will return more profit than 600 

 kept indifferently. To select the best lambs, and 

 such as have the finest, closest, and whitest wool, for 

 tups and breeding ewes, and to cut and spay the 

 worst. To get a change of rams frequently, and of 

 breeding ewes occasionally. To put the best tups 

 to the best ewes, which is considered as necessary 

 for bringing any breed to perfection. Not to tup 

 their year-old ewes ; which, in bad seasons especially, 

 would render the lambs produced by them of little 

 value, as the ewes would not have a suflficiency of 

 milk ; and would also tend to lessen the size of the 

 stock. To keep no rams above three, or at most 

 four years old, nor any breeding ewes above five or 

 six. To separate the rams from the 10th of Octo- 

 ber, for a month or six weeks, to prevent the lambs 

 from coming too early in spring. To separate the 

 lambs between the 15th and 25th of June; to have 

 good grass prepared for them ; and, if they can, to 

 keep them separate, and on good grass, all winter ; 

 that they may be better attended to, and have the 

 better chance of avoiding diseases. A few, w^hose 

 possessions enable them to do it, keep not only their 

 lambs or hogs, but also their wedders, ewes, &c. in 

 separate hirsels ; by which every shepherd, having 

 his own charge, can attend to it better than if all 

 were in common ; and each kind has tlie pasture 

 that best suits it. 



45. Great Ewes. 



Great ewes should be moved about as little as 

 possible ; and kept from wet ground, dirty cots, and 

 from every thing apt to injure their health, or dis- 

 turb them. They are, when heavy, very liable to 

 get av/ald ; and when the shepherd discovers them 



