Essay on Sheep, 9# 



lo separate the infected sheep from the flock 

 till the cure is efiected. Cold and heat is inju- 

 rious lo sheep that have been just shorn; they 

 ^ should, therefore, be put into pastures in which 

 they can lind shade, for the sun not only hurts 

 them when naked, but dries the skin, injures 

 the growing wool, and is said to produce the 

 scab. At this time too attention should be paid 

 to the horns of the sheep, to see that they do 

 not press upon the skull, or endanger the eyes; 

 in either of which cases, if not taken off, they 

 will cause the death of the animal. There are 

 two ways to remove the horns : the Spanish 

 shepherds make a hole in the earth large 

 enough to contain half the body of the sheep, 

 and another of less depth for his head, under 

 which a block is placed ; the animal is laid 

 upon his back in the pit, a man sitting astride 

 to keep him down, while another confines his 

 head to the block, and a third cuts off his horns 

 with a sharp chissel and mallet; I have, how- 

 ever, preferred using a fine stiff-backed saw, 

 with which the operation can be very neatly 

 performed, though a surgeon's saw would be 

 better. After the horns are taken off, I have 

 applied tar to the extremities of the stumps, 

 and tied over them two or three folds of strong 

 linen to keep off the flies. Last year I was 



