The Shepherds^ Guide* 77 



fully kept asunder, lest the mixture of the 

 coarser, should injure the sale of the finer wool. 



This is likewise the proper time for selecting 

 the ewes, and marking such as from age, or other 

 defects should be drawn and sold off or fatted, 

 from such as should be reserved for breeding. 

 And a careful breeder will go farihwSV^nd take the 

 opportunity for becoming more intimately ac- 

 quainted with the properties of the indiytduals of 

 his flock ; so that in future, he may, by judicious 

 combination improve his flock, and obtain ani- 

 mals more perfect and more profitable. 



Immediately after shearing it is not only neces- 

 sary to protect sheep from cold and wet, by ex- 

 posure to which great numbers have been lost ; but 

 if the weather proves hot and dry, the sheep should 

 be put into pastures, in which they can have abim- 

 dance of shade : and when this cannot be had, they 

 should for a ihort time, during the middle of the 

 day, have the shelter of a barn or sheep house. 



Shearing Lambs. Some difference of opinion 

 exists as to the propriety and advantages of this 

 practice. Mr. Laysterie informs us that at Ram- 

 bouillet, lambs shorn at six months, and again 

 when they became two-toothed sheep, yielded 

 less wool, and of an inferior quality than when 

 the fleece was suffered to remain. On the con- 

 trary, Mr. Ivard's experiments give a small ad- 

 vantage to the shearing of lambs j and Mr. Hunt 

 assures us, thatearly lambs may be shorn to advan- 



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