20 FITTING SHEEP 



along as rapidly as is consistent with safety since their birth. 

 A shiftless, unattentive, unfaithful shepherd can never hope 

 to attain any fame in exhibition circles. Regularity and 

 punctuality in feeding must be his watchword, or he fails 

 to accomplish anything. 



Whilst grain is an indispensable adjunct to the successful 

 feeding and fitting of show stock, I am herein tempted to 

 say without the least fear of possible successful contradiction, 

 that there are more show animals 'ruined and more shepherds 

 have failed as fitters of show stock by the over-feeding of 

 grain than from any one other known cause. What does 

 it mean? It means blubber, it means founder, it means 

 rickets, it means overheating and grogginess, it means ruin 

 .to the flockmaster, and disgrace to the shepherd. So I say 

 to the young aspirant to show honors, Beware! Rations of 

 a juicy, succulent nature are what bring about that beautiful 

 ".happy condition, known as "bloom" to the show-follower. 

 Rape, cabbage, kale, rutabagas, beets and mangels the lat- 

 ter-named not for rams, however are both food and medi- 

 cine to the growing animal. Grain is a most valuable adjunct 

 in the composition of the show animal's ration when fed 

 in a rational and moderate manner, but a direct injury and 

 poison when once the bounds of moderation are strained. 

 How much grain should be fed to an animal depends much 

 on its constitution, age, etc. This must be governed by the 

 leeder. 



What is Bloom. 



A question more easily asked than answered. Out of* a 

 hundred shepherds of which this question may be asked per- 

 liaps not five per cent could give an intelligible answer. I 



