FINE WOOL SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 139 



ness, and "nearness to the ground" of the carcass, 

 but quite as materially to the growth of wool and the 

 secretion of yolk. Between a ram allowed to run 

 with ewes, unsheltered except in winter, and in all 

 respects treated in the ordinary way, and the same 

 ram used to ewes singly, sheltered from rain and dew, 

 and constantly fed to the verge of safety, the differ- 

 ence in the weight of even the washed fleece will not 

 fall short of about 20 per centum ; but if the fleece is 

 weighed in the yolk, as is the custom among owners 

 of show sheep, the difference will often reach 33^ per 

 centum. 



What is the object of this pampering ? Under any 

 circumstances, and especially in connection with early 

 shearing and summer sheltering, it fits sheep entirely 

 to outshow and excel in the product of wool far better 

 unpampered ones ; and these considerations influence 

 buyers just in proportion to their inexperience and 

 ignorance of " the tricks of the trade." No sensible 

 man will seriously pretend that, taking one year with 

 another, the actual increase of wool by such means 

 will pay for the employment of those means. Every 

 experienced flock master knows that it destroys the 

 hardiness of the animal. Most of these pampered 

 sheep go down at once, or gradually fail in vigor, and 

 at length succumb to the slightest casualty, if put 

 back on common feed, and subjected to the ordinary 

 treatment. And even if the forcing system is con- 

 tinued, the constitution eventually becomes so effete 

 that it requires extra care and skill to guard against 

 accidents. The slightest one produces fatal conse- 

 quences. It is next to impossible to combat any 

 disorder successfully in a long-pampered sheep, or 



