Essay on Sheep. 81 



commend, founded on my own experience, 

 if the lambs come early; and I cannot help 

 thinking that those that do, winter better the 

 ' ensuing year, and make the finest sheep, at 

 least if the ewes are suffered to breed the first 

 season. In France, however, they are ever at- 

 tentive to keep the Merino ewes from taking 

 the ram till two and an half years old; and to 

 this circumstance among others, they attribute 

 the great improvement of the stock. Indeed, 

 a full breed Merino will not take the ram till 

 she is eighteen months old, at least this has 

 always been the case with mine. After having 

 provided shelter to which your ewes may retire 

 in bad weather, care must be taken to furnish 

 the yard with a great quantity of litter, and to 

 renew this after every rain. This furnishes a 

 quantity of manure that richly repays the ex- 

 pense of the Utter; it keeps the wool clean, and 

 contributes greatly to the health of the flock; 

 if your lambs are to come early, it is still more 

 necessary, since without it m.any will be lost by 

 dropping during a wet or cold night upon the 

 damp ground, to which they sometimes freeze; 

 and the filth which they by this means contract, 

 will often keep the ewe from licking them 

 dry. I generally heap up leaves (which I col- 

 lect in the autumn) about a foot deep, and oc- 



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