^ AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM 



spell of cold rainy weather o\ er*^ake them within a few 

 days after thej* arc sharn, the only remedy is to house 

 tihem till it is over. 



As any tarmci- may in a little time renovate his flock, 

 by getting rid of the old subjects and supplying in plenty 

 wholesome provender, so may he in a very few years, 

 greatly change a id ameliorate his wool, as well as increase 

 it in quantity, by selecting for his breeders only such 

 ashava desirable coats ; without having recourse to new 

 breeds. At the shearing season, the fleece is full grown, 

 and all its defects or advantages may be seen ; at this 

 time then let the final selection be made among the grown 

 sheep; since however promising a lamb may have been, 

 as to size and form, when turned out, its wool can only be 

 judged of when he comes to the first shear. Seek for 

 Avool curled in the fibre, set close on the pelt, and free from 

 stitched hairs as they are called — (hairs interspersed 

 throug'iout the body and principally about the back and 

 rump) and without much breeching, (long straight haired 

 spots on the thighs) — a single ram with these defects w ill 

 entail mischief on the flock for many years — and ev;ery 

 ewe of this description will be removing to a greater dis- 

 tance the period of improvement. 



It is an error, but too common, to judge of a sheep from 

 the apparent bulk and form given by a coat of long coarse 

 hairy wool; it is deceptive and imposes on a superficial ob- 

 server. Let such a sheep be stripped, and then examine 

 his carcase and his fleece, the first will be found to have 

 lost all its supposed beauty and advantage, and on inspect- 

 ing the fleece, they will not be discovered to have been left 

 there; this will be seen to be too long and too harsh for 

 carding, fit only to fatigue and vex the good housewife and 

 her spinners — and to make, even among coarse fabrics* 

 t>tift' uncomfortable clothing:. 



Any person however unaccustomed to examine wool, 

 may soon habituate his eye to the relative qualities, soas to 

 be a competent judge of any fleece or detached lock, and 

 the speediest way of effecting this, is by frequently drawing 

 cikmplc^i from individuals of one's own flock^ and those -of 



