MODERN FARRIER. 451 



young. In all slieep-pastures the hedges should be 

 well cleared from briars, as their coats are often 

 injured by being torn by them ; and all sorts of per- 

 nicious reptiles should be as much as possible de- 

 stroyed, and removed from such land. 



58, Castrating Lambs. 



In respect to the business of castrating or gelding 

 the lambs, it may be performed at any time from the 

 age of a fortnight or three weeks to that of a month 

 or six weeks ; and in some districts it is deferred to 

 a considerably later period. It is, however, the 

 safest method to have it executed early, as there is 

 less danger of too much inflammation taking place. 

 But in all cases, the lambs should be in a healthy 

 state when it is done ; as undel- other circumstances 

 they are liable to be destroyed by it. The operation 

 is usually performed by the shepherd, by opening 

 the scrotum or cod, and drawing out the testicles, 

 with the spermatic cord. This he often does with 

 his teeth, in the young state of the animal. But 

 where the operation is performed at a later period, 

 it is usual to have recourse to the knife ; the arteries 

 being taken up, and secured by means of ligatures 

 or the searing-iron. The business, if possible, should 

 be done in fine weather, when not too warm ; and 

 the gelded lambs be kept in a dry, sheltered, quiet 

 situation, for a few days, until the inflammation 

 is gone off. If it should ha])pen to be wet at the 

 time, it may be adviseable to have them under some 

 sort of shelter, where they can have room to move 

 freely about. 



^; 59. Food. 



Variety or frequent changes, in the nature of 

 food, tend to derange the uniform action of the 

 bowels, and to bring on diseases which often prove 



