MODERN SHEEP I BREEDS AND MANAGEMENT. 



and umber used. My experience has been that coloring about a 

 week or ten days before the finishing touches are put on the sheep 

 is the best method to adopt. It is well to mix the coloring matter 

 in bottles or cans ready for use, but to all this miscellaneous aa- 

 vice I would add don't color; put up your sheep in as clean a way 

 as possible in their natural condition to insure the most pleasing 

 results. Many of our most skillful shepherds are now following 

 this plan. 



TRIMMING. 



To those of artistic temperament trimming is not so difficult 

 as might be imagined. Of course there is trimming and trimming, 

 just as there is drawing and drawing, and painting and painting. 

 Those having in their eye an outline of what true mutton confor- 

 mation is usually make the best trimmers. 



In "blocking out" showyard subjects of the Down breeds, 

 that is, cutting them out in the rough, the back and flanks should 

 be carefully levelled, the breast and lower parts of the barrel and 

 thighs carefully rounded, and the whole subject converted into an 

 object of straight lines and graceful curves. The Longwools are 

 not trimmed so closely and smoothly as the Downs, but blocked 

 out and left in a more natural condition. They should be care- 

 fully washed early enough in the season to allow of the yolk 

 returning to the fleece by the time the shows come on. A dry, 

 lifeless fleece should not be found on exhibition stock. 



In trimming the Down breeds the fleece should be dampened 

 with water, or, where colored sheep are considered, with water 

 colored with ochre or something of that sort, and thoroughly 

 combed with a curry comb or carding comb and gradually trimmed 

 into form. Don't expect to trim a dozen sheep a day, or even 

 one sheep in a day. Showyard candidates should be gradually 

 brought into shape by frequent trimmings at intervals of a day 

 or two rather than commenced and finished in a day. 



EXERCISING SHOW SHEEP. 



To keep your show animals in best possible condition they 

 must be regularly exercised unless the weather is particularly hot. 

 Early morning and late evening is the best time to attend to 

 this work. No show sheep can keep healthy without proper exer- 

 cise, but of course this must be of a gentle kind. Little trouble 

 is experienced in exercising sheep after they have once become 

 accustomed to the daily program. Of course the .rams and the 

 ewes should be exercised separately. Where exercise is neglected 

 sheep often become "groggy," that is, weak on their legs. It is 

 just as important to exercise show sheep, which, of course, are 



