110 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



sumed. For our locality, the Cotswokls for the hills, and the 

 Southdowns for the more level pastures, would be best, as the 

 former are more wandering and the latter more mild and quiet. 

 The shape of the sheep for mutton should be as the following : — 



" Broad in the ribs and long in her rump, 

 With a straight, flat back and never a hump ; 

 Wide in her hips and calm in her eyes, 

 Fine in her neck and thick in her thighs." 



The sheep was perhaps the first animal kept for the use of 

 man. Abel was a keeper of sheep ; so were Abraham, Isaac 

 and Jacob, and most of the ancient patriarchs. Job kept 

 14,000 sheep. Rachel kept her father's sheep, and the seven 

 daughters of the priest of Midian drew water for their father's 

 flocks. Moses, who was learned in all the wisdom of the 

 Egyptians, kept the flocks of Jethro, his father-in-law. David, 

 who killed the bear and lion, and was also a poet and a divine, 

 was a keepeT of sheep. The birth of our Saviour was announced 

 to the shepherds while watching their flocks by night. 



The name of sheep signifies fruitfulness, abundance, plenty. 



Sheep were symbols of purity and virtue ; they were 

 victims of sacrifices, and the type of redemption. Homer and 

 Virgil, in their writings, speak of the sheep with praise and 

 delight. Hercules and Ulysses were careful of their perpetua- 

 tion. Sheep-husbandry is doubtless the most profitable busi- 

 ness for the young farmer. He should not commence with a 

 large flock, but let it increase with his knowledge and expe- 

 rience. The smaller the flock, the greater the profit per cent, 

 annually. Large flocks crowd together and the air becomes 

 impure, and the animals are soon affected with some one of 

 many diseases which they are subjected to when not properly 

 cared for. One man in Nebraska had, in the fall, 3,000 head, 

 and lost in a year all but about 300, from a disease called the 

 " scab." There are many diseases among large flocks, but 

 the better plan is to keep a small flock, from 25 to 50, then 

 let them have good air, good keeping and care. Let a young 

 mau commence a flock with one ewe lamb out of Hale's or 

 Briirham's flock, and if the increase are twins, the first and 

 every year for ten years, one-half only every year being 

 males, there would be at the end of the ten years, 2,047 in 

 his flock, and at $5 each, would give $10,235 for his care. 



