SUMMER CARE AND MANAGEMENT 199 



warm weather comes on. April and May are the 

 months in which to breed ewes for fall lambs. 



The rams must not as a usual thing be permitted 

 to run continually with the ewes at this time. If 

 they do they themselves soon acquiesce in the idea 

 that it is an unnatural time for breeding. It is 

 wise if the ram can be kept up and turned with the 

 flock for only an hour or two each day, as described 

 in earlier pages of this work. Or two rams may be 

 used, their rivalry exciting them to extra exertion. 



There is no doubt whatever that the breeding in- 

 stinct is in part a result of mental processes that 

 may be stimulated by suggestion. This is almost as 

 true of the sheep as it is of higher races of animals. 

 The ram that persistently courts the ewe may after 

 a time so divert (by his suggestion) blood to her re- 

 productive organs as to cause her to come in heat 

 and conceive at a time when naturally these organs 

 would be in a dormant condition. 



If the shepherd does not care to risk the uncertain 

 mental influence of the ram he may practice holding 

 the ewe and compelling her to accept the attention 

 of the ram once. This often supplies stimulation 

 enough to cause her to come naturally in heat and 

 to conceive at the later service. 



Fall-born lambs in America have developed into 

 as fine sheep as ever were produced in England. 

 This is true of few lambs born in spring, no matter 

 how skillfully they, have been treated. Fall-born 

 ram lambs make fine strong fellows when they are 

 yearlings and ready to go into service. 



