382 



SHE 



SHE 



proved time of shearing is from 

 the middle to the latter end of 

 June. They should be washed in 

 a warm lime. After this the_y 

 should run three or four days in a 

 clean pasture, before they are 

 shorn. It is good for thnm to have 

 time to sweat a little in their wool, 

 after washing. 



In shearing, great care should be 

 taken not to wound, prick, or cut 

 their skins with the shears. In 

 England, after shearing, the far- 

 mers smear their sheep with a 

 mixture of tar and fresh butler. 

 This not only cures any little 

 wounds that may chance to get in 

 shearing, but is supposed to fortif) 

 their bodies against cold, and cause 

 their wool to grow again the soon- 

 er. 



If any cold rain happens soon 

 after shearing, the sheep should be 

 put up in a warm house. For if 

 they be left abroad, it is apt to be 

 fatal to them. 



But Mr. Young thinks they are 

 so apt to be hurt by being kepi 

 very warm, that they should never 

 be confined to a house, but always 

 have the door open, that they ma) 

 be in the house or the yard as they 

 choose. They will undoubtedly 

 prefer the warmer place when 

 they are newly shorn, if the air be 

 colder than common. Small flocks 

 commonly prosper better than 

 large ones, as they are not often so 

 overheated by crowding each other. 



In France, fifteen pounds of salt 

 per annum are allowed to a sheep, 

 and fifty for each head of cattle. 

 The truth is, that in the inland 

 parts of this country, both sorts 

 should have salt often, and be al- 



lowed to cat as much as they 

 please, their health requires it, and 

 tliey will pay well for it to the 

 owner. 



Some are fond of having black 

 sheep in their flock. But their 

 wool is seldom so fine, or so strong, 

 as that of white ones. Nor is the 

 wool ever a perfectly good black, 

 and it is found difficult to give it 

 any good durable colour by dying. 



There are a great many varie- 

 ties of sheep with differences more 

 or less marked. To give even an 

 abridged account of all the kinds 

 described in foreign publications 

 would require a volume. In Eng- 

 land, the principal division of 

 sheep is into the long wool, and 

 the SHORT WOOL kinds. Among 

 those bearing long wool, are the 

 Teeswater, the Lincolnshire, the 

 South Dozens, the Bakewell or 

 Dishky breeds, &c. &c. The ori- 

 gin of the last mentioned breed of 

 sheep is thus described by an Eng- 

 lish writer. 



" Mr. Balcewell selected from 

 his own flock, and from the flocks 

 of others those sheep to breed from, 

 which possessed in the greatest 

 degree that perfection of form he 

 was desirous to retain and perpetu- 

 ate. By judiciously crossing them, 

 and selecting the most perfect of 

 their progeny, he at length suc- 

 ceeded in forming the breed, which 

 has been distinguished by the name 

 of the New Leicester, or Dishley 

 breed ; and having attained his 

 object, he carefully guarded against 

 any future intermixtures with other 

 breeds. This breed exceeds all 

 others in its propensity to fatten ; 

 and by crossing by rams with this 



