308 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



and strikes it off at a single blow. The skin being longer than the two-inch tail that itself 

 slips over the cut portion, which will soon hml. Many farmers use a sharp knife in docking 

 but the above method is much better. When the knife is used, the cutting should be from 

 the under part of the tail upward instead of downward, as is often done. 



To aid in healing the wound, and also prevent flies and maggots from troubling, it is the 

 common practice to apply an ointment of lard and tar, in the proportion of four pounds of 

 lard to one pound of tar. A little spirits of turpentine added to the above is thought by 

 many to be good, also turpentine alone applied. Some also prefer fresh butter to lard in 

 the composition of the above ointment. The lambs should not be exposed to the cold until 

 well. 



Castrating Lambs. As with docking, this operation should be performed in cool, 

 dry weather, and in the morning, if possible; also when the lambs are young, as the older 

 they are the more painful and troublesome it will be; yet at the same time it should be urged 

 that it be not done until the animal be sufficiently strong to endure it, for it is a painful 

 operation, and one that will task his strength to endure. We know of no better directions 

 for this process than those given by Allen as follows: 



After . selecting enough of the choicest rams for stock getters, the castrating may be 

 performed at any time between two and six weeks old, when the lamb is in good health. A 

 cool day should be chosen, or if warm, it must be done early in the morning. The best 

 method is for one person to hold the lamb firmly between his arms, about breast high as he 

 stands, while another, with a sharp knife, cuts off the lower part of the scrotum. The 

 testicles are then drawn out till the spermatic cord is reached, which is gently pulled out and 

 cut with a sharp knife. It is sometimes done by simply opening the scrotum, when the testicles 

 and spermatic cord are jerked out. This, however, is a severe and cruel way, and not so 

 safe as the other. The wound should then be rinsed with cold water, after which apply 

 lard.&quot; 



Neither do we believe in the cruel &quot;jerking&quot; process, and would not recommend it on 

 any grounds whatever, the use of the knife being safer and better every way. It is a very 

 delicate operation, and must be performed with care. The ointment recommended for use 

 in docking is also to be recommended here, especially if the weather be warm. If the 

 weather be cold, when this operation is performed, the lambs should be kept protected until 

 they are perfectly well. 



Feeding Lambs. Whether designed for the farm or the butcher, lambs should 

 always be well fed; this is important in order to produce good size, and form, besides vigor 

 of constitution. Those that are to be raised on the farm should run with the dam until 

 about four months old, and, besides the milk of the dam, should be supplied with an 

 abundance of good rowen hay and fresh water; besides this, when about a month old they 

 may commence eating a little bran, oatmeal, or corn-meal; oil meal is excellent; many 

 shepherds also feed wheat and oats with good results, beginning with a half-ounce per day 

 to each lamb. At first, but little of either the above-mentioned articles of food should be 

 given, until they learn to eat it, afterwards the amount can be increased as the lambs increase 

 in size. When three months old, fattening lambs will eat from a pint and a half to a quart 

 of meal in addition to the milk of the dam. 



The feeding can be very easily arranged, and with but light labor, by constructing in 

 some part of the sheep-yard a small pen, with an opening large enough to admit the lambs, 

 but not large enough for the ewes. Lambs designed for the market should be fed until they 

 are taken by the butcher. When designed to take the place of the older sheep on the farm, 

 they should be weaned when four months old. 



One of the most noticeable effects of good feeding is seen in the quality of the wool. 

 If the feeding has been irregular, the texture of the wool will be varied, and when twisted 



