46 SELECTING SHEEP FOR AGRICULTURAL SHOWS. 



PREPARING FOR SALE. 



The cull rams should have gone to the butcher early in January, 

 and now, mid-May or so, a further batch must go. It is far 

 better to keep for the sale none but good animals, because 30, 40, 

 50, or more, really first-class sheep, will make as much, or more, 

 than double the number of indifferent ones ; and this weeding out 

 of the weak ones will help to keep the demand on a level with 

 supply. Thus, in addition to securing better prices, the breeder 

 will put the money realised by the drafts into his pocket some 

 three months earlier than if they had been kept for stock pur- 

 poses. Again, if only the best are sold as sires, the results 

 obtained by their use redounds to the credit of the breeder ; and 

 he soon reaps the benefit of the course adopted, by the increased 

 demand for his rams. 



If breeders would well consider this, gluts would rarely occur, 

 and the sheep stock of the country would be much improved. 



The same treatment should be adopted with the ewes ; and no 

 ewe should be sold with a pedigree, unless she is passable and 

 likely to breed well. It must be suicidal to a breeder to dis- 

 seminate animals that will not do him credit ; and it is far better 

 to sacrifice a few at butchers' prices, than to secure a few shillings 

 extra by allowing cull sheep to be sold for breeding purposes. If 

 the ewes are sold in pens, carefully draw them to match, and do 

 not marry one or two of the inferior ones with some of the best of 

 the flock. This would probably be the means of losing a good 

 customer for the best sheep. 



MANAGEMENT OF BREEDING FLOCK, 

 AND DRAFTING. 



The lambs from each ewe should be carefully noted by the 

 shepherd, (and master if practicable,) so that when the drafting 

 comes (usually June or July,) it can be seen which ewes are 

 breeding satisfactorily, and what class of ram suits them best ; 

 because, possibly, some of the most promising lambs may be the 



