94 DOMESTIC ANIM.VLS. [Chap. I. 



twins. An average of 130 per cent, to 150 per cent, is quite usual, and with 

 some breeds a much greater increase is tlie general rule. The sheep oflers 

 her owner more sources of profit than any other animal. First, her natural 

 increase ; second, her wool ; third, her flesh ; and this is the most imj^ortant 

 of all tiie considerations connected witli sliecp husbandry, because a greatly 

 increased consumption of tlie flesh of sheep will greatly promote health. 



Sheep " come in play" wonderfully in well-managed farms, especially such 

 as are pushed to their utmost capacity, as a means of increasing fertility in 

 various ways, feeding off green crops, such as clover or rye, previous to 

 plowing tliem under, securing thus the advantage of passing the crop thioiigh 

 the animal system without moving it from the field, scattering the manure 

 very evenly previous to plowing, and giving what remains of the green croj) 

 when plowed in the advantage of \indergoing its decomposition in contact 

 witli animal excrements. The sheep possesses other and greater advantages 

 over other kinds of stock, which reconnnend it for general culture. Among 

 these is its great fecundity. 



126. Numbering Sheep. — "W. D. Dickinson, of Victor, Ontario Co., N. Y., 

 gives, in the Stock Journal, the following plan of numbering sheep : 



" About twelve years since I commenced numbering, classifying, and 

 registering my flock, which has been of great advantage to me, enabling me 

 to select at all times for sale (which I invariably do myself) such as are of 

 the least value, whether with regard to_ age, weight of fleece, quality of 

 wool, or value as breeders. 



"My method of numbering is by notches in the car, as follows: A notch 

 in the fore part of the left ear stands for 1, one in the back part of the same 

 for 3. With these I number up to 10 ; thus, two notches in the fore part, 2 ; 

 two in the back part, 6 ; two in each, 8, etc. A notch in the fore part of 

 the right ear stands for 10, one in the back part oi the same, 30. "Witli 

 these I number to 100. Tliis is as far as I have occasion to go in my flock, 

 as I seldom have over 300, and consequently never have as many as 100 

 lambs of each sex in one j-ear. Tliis might be carried much farther by 

 cutting off the end of the left ear for 100, and of the right for 200 ; a notch 

 might then be made in the end of the left ear for 400, and in the end of the 

 right for 800. 



" The age of my sheep is known by the holes through the ears. A hole 

 through the left ear stands for 1 — that is, tJie year 1841, '51, or '61, showing 

 the year in which the sheep was born ; one in the right ear for 3, so that a 

 sheep born in the year 'oG would have two holes through the right ear; if in 

 '57, two holes through the riglit and one through the left ; for '58 would re- 

 quire two through each, instead of which I simply make a notch in the end 

 of the left ear; and for '59, one in the end of the right. The years '40, '50, 

 '00, etc., the ears are left without any holes — thus commencing anew every 

 ten years, by which time those of that age are usually gone. I number my 

 lambs as they are dropped, commencing each year with No. 1, both buck 

 and ewe lambs. 



