98 Essai/ on Sheep, 



ably more breadth, by which they are distin- 

 guished from the six lamb's teeth : the third 

 year the two adjoining teeth are changed : the 

 fourth year leaves them with only two lamb's 

 teeth : the fifth year all their teeth are changed, 

 and they are then said to be full mouthed. At 

 seven and eight years they begin to loose their 

 front feeth. Whenever this happens, they are 

 called broken mouthed, and should be turned 

 off to fat, as they are then upon the decline. 

 Many sheep will, however, preserve their teeth 

 much longer; but it will be best, except in the 

 case of a valuable ewe or ram, to turn them off 

 the year after they are full mouthed; for they 

 decline in wool as they grow older, and will 

 fatten better before the teeth get loose or decay: 

 besides that, in a flock of common sheep the 

 principal profit consists in fatting off early, as 

 the sheep sold is of three times the value of the 

 Iamb by which it may be replaced. 



The shearers should also examine very atten- 

 tively whether the sheep they shear have the 

 scab, which may be known by the wool com- 

 ing oft* easily, and by the skin being rough and 

 discoloured. In that case the remedies which 

 I shall hereafter mention should be immediately 

 applied; and if the disorder has gone so far as 

 to have formed a sore or scab, it will be best 



