138 



MANAGEMENT OF BHEBP. 



mav be once or twice milked, to prevent bad conse- 

 quences ; but it is much better to obviate the necessity 

 for this, by reducing their allowance of food for a few 

 days. When the animal seems to suffer much irrita- 

 tion about the udder, it will always be safe to give a 

 brisk dose of any of the common saline purgatives. 



The store lambs are at this period sent to good pas- 

 ture, or, where the farm cannot afford it, are summered 

 at a distance ; that is to say, the farmer pays so much 

 a head for permission to feed his flock, during a couple 

 of months, on another person's ground, at the end of 

 which period they are turned upon the pasture which 

 has just been vacated by the gimraers, they having 

 been sent to join the older ewes. 



(102.) Smearing f in those places where it is still 

 carried on, is performed in two ways, according to the 

 quality of the wool. Slipping, as the one method is 

 termed, is only employed in high, wet districts, where 

 the sheep are covered with long wool ; while rolling^ as 

 the other is usually called, is only required for such as. 

 in dry situations, are surrounded by a short close pile. 

 In pursuing the former plan, the smearer takes up the 

 mixture on the forefinger of his right hand, and while 

 holding the locks of wool apart with his arms and left 

 hand, allows the salve to drop into the groove or shed, 

 along which it is spread by the other fingers. 



In rolling, a small quantity only of smearing stuff is 

 raised on the point of the forefinger, with which it is 

 laid evenly upon the skin. This is by far the neater 

 way of salving, as less of the ointment is permitted to 

 get upon the wool ; but as it is altogether a tardier pro- 

 cess, it is not so frequently resorted to. 



