36 On Merino Sheep, 



probably from the greater irritability of the uterus in 

 such. 



IV. Abortion, The experience of the past winter, has 

 forced me to acknowledge, though reluctantly, the cor- 

 rectness of the vulgar opinion, that ewes, especially those 

 with their first lambs, to breed with certainty, should not 

 be in more than ordinary condition, and should therefore 

 not htfull fed with grain, or at any rate until within a 

 few weeks of yeaning. This acknowledgment which 

 goes directly to condemn my own mode of management, 

 has only been extorted by the most convincing evidence : 

 for out of twenty five shearling ewes, the excellence of 

 whose stock induced me to keep them in rare order, fif- 

 teen at least produced abortions, or dead lambs : and 

 what tends equally to condemn high feeding is, that al- 

 most all the cases of prolapsus vaginae and uteri, which 

 occurred during the past winter, happened in this ill fa- 

 voured flock. 



After thus clearly discovering the ill effects of too 

 much blood, I had recourse to moderate depletion, by a 

 gradual reduction of food, and by bleeding, in hopes to 

 remedy the evil. These means I believe were partially 

 useful: but in too many instances, the mischief was already 

 done, though its effects were not immediately perceived. 



As bleeding may oftentimes be very useful, and can 

 seldom, when practised in moderation, be injurious, I 

 will here mention my method, which I believe is not 

 generally practised among merino-men ; it is, to open 

 the external jugular vein about three inches from the jaw, 

 first shearing away the wool for a small space round the 

 part, and tying a cord tight about the neck below, as in 

 bleeding horses and calves. I use a common spring 

 lancet. In this method a half pint of blood, which I find 

 a full grown sheep will readily spare, may be taken in a 

 couple of minutes. 



