7^ Essay on Sheep, 



at twenty-five dollars. Such a ram, with his 

 one-fourth breed ewes, will at once give him a 

 half blood flock, and that without any expense, 

 because he purchases him with the excess be- 

 yond what his original stock would have given 

 him. 



It is a general practice, and I believe in most 

 cases a good one, to let the lambs come in 

 April; but in changing a stock I should prefer 

 a difierent course, though it may be attended 

 with some more trouble and expense in taking 

 care of the ewes. Ihe lambs that come in 

 April will take the ram, but their young will 

 be feeble, and even if they should live, will 

 not form a good basis to work the change upon; 

 I would, therefore, put the old ewes intended 

 for stock in good heart, and kill off the Iambs 

 early, so that they may take the ram in August 

 and September. The lambs that fall in January 

 and February will be large and strong enough 

 to put to ram the November following, and pro- 

 duce good lambs, so that a year maybe gained 

 by changing the flock. It is true that it would 

 tend to the improvement of the flock not to let 

 the ewes breed till they are two years old; but 

 few farmers have the means to keep them away 

 from the ram, and they will generally take 

 him in November and December; in which 



