Book VII. BREEDING OF SHEEP. 1053 



fine and graceful, being perfectly free from any coarse leather hanging down ; the shoulders broad and 

 full, which must, at the same time, join so easy to the collar forward and chine backward as to leave not 

 the least hollow in either place ; the mutton upon his arm or fore-thigh must come quite to the knee ; 

 his legs upright, with a clean fine bone, being equally clear from superfluous skin and coarse hairy wool, 

 from the knee and hough downwards ; the breast broad and well formed, which will keep his fore-legs at 

 a proper wideness ; his girth or chest full and deep, and instead of a hollow behind the shoulders, that 

 part, by some called the fore-flank, should be quite full; the back and loins broad, flat, and straight, 

 from which the ribs must rise with a fine circular arch ; his belly straight, the quarters long and full, 

 with the mutton quite down to the hough, which should neither stand in nor out ; his twist, or junction- 

 at the inside of the thighs, deep, wide, and full, which, with the broad breast, will keep his four legs open 

 and upright ; the whole body covered with a thin pelt, and that with fine, bright, soft wool. 



7143. The criteria of a sound healthy sheep are, a rather wild or lively briskness ; a brilliant clearness 

 in the eye ; a florid ruddy colour on the inside of the eyelids, and what are termed the eyestrings, as well 

 as in the gums ; a fastness in the teeth ; a sweet fragrance in the breath ; a dryness of the nose and eyes ; 

 breathing easy and regular ; a coolness in the feet ; dung properly formed ; coat or fleece firmly attached 

 to the skin, and unbroken ; the skin exhibiting a florid red appearance, especially upon the brisket. Where 

 there are discharges from the nose and eyes, it indicates their having taken cold, and should be attended 

 to by putting them in dry sheltered situations. This is a necessary precaution also in bringing them 

 from one situation to another while on the road. 



7144. The criteria of the a^e of sheep is the state of their teeth ; by their having, in their second year, 

 two broad teeth ; in their third year, four broad teeth ; in their fourth year, six broad teeth ; and in their 

 fifth year, eight broad teeth before. After which, none can tell how old a sheep is while their teeth remain, 

 except by their being worn down. Abouttheendof oneyear, rams, wethers, and all young sheep, lose the 

 two fore-teeth of the lower jaw ; and they are known to want the incisive teeth in the upper jaw. At 

 eighteen months, the two teeth joining to the former also fall out ; and at three years, being all replaced, 

 they are even and pretty white. But as these animals advance in age, the teeth become loose, blunt, and 

 afterwards black. The age of all horned sheep may also be known by their horns, which show themselves 

 in their very first year, and often at the birth, and continue to grow a ring annually to the last period of 

 their lives. 



7145. The different ages and conditions of sheep have difFerent names in different districts. After being 

 weaned, the ram, or wedder lamb, is sometimes termed hog, hoggit, or tag, during the whole of the first 

 year; and the female lamb, an ewe, or gimmer lamb, and ewe tag. The second year the wedder has 

 the title of shear hog, or a two-toothed tag ; and the ewe is called a thaive, or two-toothed ewe. In the 

 third year, a shear hog, or four-toothed wedder ; and a four-toothed ewe or thaive. The fourth year, a 

 six-toothed wedder, or ewe; and in some places, from the time of lambing till that of salving, the males 

 are called tup-lambs ; and from that period, till the time of shearing, tup-hogs, and ever afterwards, 

 tups : the females in the same order being termed, ewe-lambs, ewe-hogs, gimmers, young ewes, old 

 ewes. The gelded male lambs, castrated wedder lambs, wedder hogs, dummonds, wedders. Crones 

 also signify old ewesj and there are several other provincial names, which are explained in their 

 proper places. 



Sect. III. Breeding of Sheep. 



7146. In the breeding of sheep a greater degree of perfection has been attained than in 

 any other live stock ; and in this branch, in particular, the breeders of England stand 

 higher than those of any other country. 



7147. Bakewell, by careful selection during several generations, raised his stock to a state of excellence, 

 in regard to fattening at an early age with a moderate consumption of food, and with the smallest pro- 

 portion of oftal, which has been with difficulty equalled, certainly has not been exceeded, by the most 

 skilful of his successors. It is a striking instance of the division of labour and skill, that there are breeders 

 who devote themselves entirely to the breeding of rams for the purpose of letting out on hire. This prac- 

 tice originated in Lincolnshire, where, in the early part of the lait century, rams were let out at from 

 105. to 20.V. each ; but so great has been the improvement since that period, that they are now let out to 

 common graziers at from 1 to 10 guineas, and to breeders of rams at from 20^. to 200 guineas. Thebreed- 

 ing rams are shown for hire at certain times and places during the summer, where every one may select 

 such as promise to maintain or improve the particular state of his flock, and at such prices as his means 

 and experience may justify. Two or more individuals frequently join together in the hire of one ram, to 

 which they put the best of their ewes, for the purpose of obtaining superior males for the future service of 

 the rest of their flocks; and in particular cases, when the owner of the ram does not choose to part with 

 him, even for a season, ewes are sent to him to be covered at a certain price per head ; superior animals 

 of this class being very seldom sold altogether. Much as this mode of doing business has been repro- 

 bated as a monopoly, and much as there sometimes may be of deception in making up rams for these 

 shows, all intelligent practical men must agree, that there can be no better method of remunerating emi- 

 nent breeders, and of spreading their improvements most widely, in the shortest period, and at the least 

 possible expense. A single ram thus communicates its valuable properties to a number of flocks, 

 often in distant parts of the country, without distracting the attention of ordinary breeders from their 

 other pursuits. 



7148. The two methods of breeding common to all animals are also adopted in breeding sheep. Breeding 

 from different families of the same race, commonly called breeding in and in; and breeding from difFerent 

 races, generally called cross breeding. Bakewell, according to Sir J. Sebright {On improving the Breeds 

 of domestic Animals, &;c.), eflfected his improvements by breeding from the same family ; but according to 

 Hunt, who has written an able answer to Sir J. Sebright's pamphlet {A Letter, Sfc. to Sir J. Sebright, Sfc), 

 he bred from different relationships of the same family ; it being out of his power to breed from different 

 families of a race which he was at the time employed in forming, and cross breeding he did not apnrove 

 of. Breeding in and in is so repugnant to human feeling, that it is diflScult to avoid considering it an 

 unnatural practice ; for it does not follow that a flock of sheep in a wild state must necessarily breed in 

 the nearest relationships, as father and daughter, &c. ; on the contrary, it is more probable that remoter 

 relationships would be chiefly bred from, as these must necessarily be much more numerous. In a flock 

 of sheep, or a herd of savage men, springing each from one pair, every parent must necessarily have many 

 more cousins, and cousins many times removed, than he can have mothers or daughters. 



7149. Breeding from different families of the same race is the more general and approved practice. 

 When a number of families of any breed have been for some time established in a variety of situations, 

 and have had some shght shades of difference impressed upon them, by the influence of dift'erent soils and 

 treatment, it is found advantageous to interchange the males, for the purpose of strengthening the excel- 

 lencies, or remedying the defects of each family. Of this advantage Bakewell could not avail himself; 

 but it has been very generally attended to by his successors. Culley, for many years, continued to hire 

 his rams from Bakewell, at the very time that other breeders were paying a liberal price for the use of 

 his own ; and the very same practice is followed by the most skilful breeders at present. In large con- 

 cerns, two or more streams of blood may be kept distinct for several generations, and occasionally inter- 

 mixed with the happiest effects, by a judicious breeder, without having recourse to other flocks. (Sup. 

 E. Brit. art. Agr. Yll.) 



