SHEEP AND WOOL. 209 



the practice, for two reasons. The first is, the profit 

 from the sale of the lamb's wool, which will average 

 from thirty to forty cents per head ; the second rea- 

 son is, it keeps the flock almost entirely free from 

 the great enemy of sheep, the tick ; as, after shear- 

 ing the sheep, if there are any ticks on them, they 

 wiJl take refuge on and torment the lambs ; and the 

 later shearing of these is almost certain to eradicate 

 the whole. Experiments have shown that little, if 

 any, loss of weight is sustained by the succeeding 

 fleece, and the wool is certainly of a better quality, 

 being free from those hairs that abound in the fleeces 

 of most lambs. 



" Dr. Parry recommends the shearing of fine- 

 wooled lambs about the beginning of August, having 

 found the hog (or yearling) fleeces gTOw finer when 

 the lamb fleeces are removed. There does not ap- 

 pear to be any danger to be apprehended from the 

 operation at that season of the year ; and the wool 

 will have time to grow to a sufficient length for dsr 

 fending the animal from rain, cold, and snow before 

 winter sets in. His recommendation goes no far- 

 ther than to fine-wooled lambs ; but those of other 

 breeds may not probably be hurt, if these do not suf- 

 fer any injury from the operation." 



If any of the flock at any time exhibit symptoms 

 of disease, they should at once be looked to, and the 

 evils, if possible, ascertained and corrected. The 

 celebrated Saxony flocks of Prussia are at short in- 

 tervals individually examined with regard to their 

 health, the quality of their wool, and their constitu- 

 tional dehcacy or hardiness, and their value gradu- 

 ated accordingly. 



If sheep are smeared or salved, the lambs are 

 rarely troubled with vermin of any kind ; but where 

 they become infected with ticks, and the owner is 

 averse to shearing, " a solution of white arsenic in 

 water, in the proportion of an ounce to a gallon, or 

 three pounds of arsenic to about fifty gallons of wa- 

 II. — R 



