[74] 



as required. This combination will prevent injury from 

 eating too much, as, if salt is too largely licked at first it is 

 apt to produce scours. 



Another precaution that is absolutely necessary should 

 take effect at this time, and that is MARKING. The old 

 barbarous custom of mutilating the ears of sheep has given 

 place to other plans. Cutting the ear destroys the beauty 

 of the sheep besides injuring their facility to hear, the ear 

 being shaped precisely right to convey sounds to the drum. 

 Some use tags of tin, sold by all agricultural stores, that 

 have, marked upon them, the age and number of the ^heep. 

 This tag is placed in the lobe of the ear as a ear- bob. Bath 

 ends may pierce the ear, and then by bending and twisting 

 it is permanently fastened. Others use paint. A conven- 

 ient method is to mix lampblack or any other color with 

 linseed oil, and, with a brush, make any shaped marks 

 proper or desired, either the initials of the owner or a cross. 

 Bucks should be marked on the rump, wethers on the right 

 shoulder, and ewes on the left. Another plan is to use Ve- 

 netian red, a very cheap paint, and one pound will mark a 

 thousand sheep. Take between the thumb and first two 

 fingers a pinch of the dry powder, then, drawing the en- 

 closing fingers through the wool, letting the powder slip, 

 any desirable mark may be made. The powder will unite 

 with the grease of the wool, making a bright red mark, 

 which no amount of rain will efface, yet without any injury 

 to the wool, as it can be easily taken out by the manufac- 

 turer, which is not so easily done with lampblack and lin- 

 seed oil. However, this operation should always take place 

 immediately after shearing, except as to lambs; on the lat- 

 ter after docking. This process docking should take 

 place when the lamb is a week or ten days old, or older if 

 it is very weak. Some cut off the tail with a knife, while 

 others use a chisel. The latter is much the best plan. Let 

 an attendant hold it upright, rather leaning buck, with its 

 rump resting on a block ; then, with the finger and thumb, 



