MANAGEMENT OF A MARSHLAND BREED. 171 



many flockmasters to shear the lambs. This is a practice which 

 is centuries old, and obtained when the wool was the asset to the 

 sheep keeper. Little profit is made from the lamb's wool now. 

 In fact, it is doubtful if the loss on the shearling fleece meets it, 

 but shearing makes it more easy to keep the " fly " or sheep maggot 

 in subjection, and those who are in the habit of agisting their 

 sheep in autumn find that the losses from fly are greatly curtailed, 

 especially as the sheep are often sent out to graze with those who 

 are not necessarily skilled in shepherding ; and when the wool is 

 long, they are liable to overlook attacks in the early stages. 



Shearing Lambs. But the shearing of lambs is not altogether 

 beneficial. My experience certainly does not impress me favour- 

 ably with it, even with this long-woolled breed. The shorter 

 fleece matters little in cold, dry weather, but in prolonged wet 

 winters, the sheep suffer badly from being soaked to the skin. 

 Wool is a natural thatch when it has not been cut, but shearing 

 very largely destroys the thatch principle ; for instead of the wet 

 being led away from the skin, the rain goes straight on to it, of 

 course, very severely chilling the animal. As it is wet rather 

 than dry, cold winters that are trying to sheep, anything that tends to 

 destroy the natural protection from wet, must further handicap the 

 young sheep. Older sheep have gained a stronger constitution, 

 and, therefore, shearing is not so prejudicial to them. The lambs 

 remain a long while with the ewes, generally until the August 

 sales, by which time they have attained considerable size, and 

 have very big appetites. 



Marshes too Wet for Lambs in Winter. The Marshes are too 

 wet for lambs in winter, whatever else may be left there. Most 

 of the lambs go out to winter on the pastures ; but in superior 

 flocks many lambs are wintered in the fold, commencing in the 

 autumn on rape and mustard, following with turnips, and getting 

 swedes after Christmas. The general custom, however, is to 

 run the lambs in store condition, and they are generally sold as 

 hoggets at two years old, though with considerable latitude on both 

 sides of that time. The wintering of the lambs, ewes, and hoggets 

 on grass is effected at little cost beyond the value of the wool ; 

 this enables flockmasters to keep the sheep, as is often the case, 

 over two winters, before sending them to the butcher the wool 

 being an important asset. The Wealden pastures are, therefore, 

 practically a necessary adjunct to the Marshes. However, there 

 is an increasing tendency to obtain swedes for sheep in wintering, 

 now that the sheep are attaining more rapid maturing powers. 



Changing a Breed's Character. There is much modification of 

 character going on in the Romney at the present time ; the more 

 advanced can be brought to the butcher much earlier, where suit- 

 able food is available. How far it is advisable to alter the type 



