Essay on Sheep » 91 



to cold, which, if the ewe is very forward, 

 throws back her milk, and sometimes kills 

 her; and even when less forward, it endangers 

 her health, and of course that of her embryo 

 lamb. I have seen an account, though I can- 

 not just now recollect where, of a number of 

 ewes dying in England in consequence of cold 

 w^eather following soon after this unnecessary 

 operation . 



SHEARING. 



This too is a delicate task, and requires more 

 attention than is frequently paid to it. Many 

 farmers begin by washing their sheep. This 

 may be a good practice where the fleeces of 

 the sheep are thin and shaggy, as in the long- 

 wooUed breed; yet I think with thick, short 

 clothing wool it is of little use, and particularly 

 if the flock consists of Spanish sheep, whose 

 wool is so close and thick as to render it abso- 

 lutely impossible to make it clean by washing on 

 the sheep's back; and for this reason it is never 

 practised in Spain. The long, straight wool soon 

 dries, and therefore the sheep are less injured 

 by it. But when the water is made to penetrate 

 to the skin, through a thick close fleece, it will 

 remain wet a long time, and I think cannot 



