SHEEP AND THEIR MANAGEMENT. 193 



is expressed by an ingenious method of marking on 

 the ear, invented by Mr. Thaer, which causes little 

 mutilation, and effectually distinguishes any number 

 of sheep. " When lambs are weaned," says Mr. 

 Charles Howard, in a letter to the author of the vol- 

 ume on sheep in the " Farmer's Series," " each is 

 placed upon a table, that his wool and form may be 

 minutely observed. The finest are selected for 

 breeding, and receive a first mark. When they are 

 one year old, and prior to shearing them, another 

 close examination of those previously marked takes 

 place : those in which no defect can be found re- 

 ceive a second mark, and the rest are condemned. 

 A few months afterward, a third and last scrutiny is 

 made ; the prime rams and ewes receive a third and 

 final mark ; but the slightest blemish is sufficient to 

 cause the rejection of the animal." 



Considerable attention has also been bestowed in 

 Germany on the breeding. of grade sheep a cross 

 between the Merino and the native sheep of tho 

 country. These native sheep were of two varieties, 

 and they bore a strong resemblance to the old com- 

 mon stock of the United States ; those which were 

 fed on the uplands being smaller and of finer fleece, 

 and the lowland sheep carrying more flesh and'coar- 

 ser wool. The sheepholders who were unable to 

 purchase pure bloods resorted to this cross. The 

 wool of some of these flocks, after a few genera- 

 tions, has rivalled even the electoral in fineness ; 

 but it loses in quantity, as the native German car- 

 ried much lighter fleeces than the Spanish sheep. 

 The sheep themselves are also much less perfect in 

 form, the means of the common breeder not permit- 

 ting him (and, indeed, there being no prospect for an 

 adequate return) to bestow the same labour that the 

 breeder of pure bloods does, to sacrifice for the least 

 defect, and, in short, incur the same expenses, when, 

 at best, his sheep will not sell for more than one 

 eighth or one tenth of the price of pure bloods. 



