16G - SHEEP. 



for fatting*. In this case, care miist.be taken to milk 

 the ewes every day or two, for the first week, until 

 the milk dries up. 



In washing sheep, to prevent danger from exposure, 

 sink a tub or barrel for the person to stand in. The 

 water must be warm as can be had, and perfectly clean. 

 It is necessary to keep sheep, some days previous to 

 shearing, in a clean pasture, that their wool may im- 

 bibe some of the oil which is lost by washing, which 

 will render the shearing more easy, and require less oil 

 afterwards. If any are cut in shearing, the wounds 

 should be smeared with a mixture of tar, fresh butter, 

 and sulphur. At shearmg but few should be brought 

 together at a time, and they should be penned in the 

 open air. After shearing, they require shade during 

 the heat of the day, free acccess to their shelter during 

 rains and cold nights, and plenty of salt. At shearing 

 time, the lambs should be docked, castrated and mark- 

 ed ; and all old and broken-mouthed sheep, and all that 

 do not possess good qualities should be marked, in order 

 to be put in good pasture and fatted. To destroy ticks 

 on sheep, part the wool along the back, and down 

 each side of the neck, and sprinkle snuff thin : it will 

 kill the ticks in the course of three or four days. This 

 operation ought to be repeated in ten or twelve days, 

 to kill those newly hatched. This operation performed 

 on the lambs after the old sheep are shorn, will expel 

 the vermin from the flock. 



The wool ot yearhng sheep should be kept by itself; 

 as its difference of texture will cause cloth to shrink un- 

 equally if mixed with other wool. The other fleeces 

 may be sorted, by making separate parcels of the thighs, 

 belly, back, and sides. Mr. Hayden of Massachusetts, 

 recommends the following management for wool that is 

 to be sent to market. After separating from the fleece 

 all tag locks and manure, wind up as tight as possible, 

 with the skin side inward. After which, it. would be 

 well to put it into a clean dry apartment for a week or 

 more, for the purpose of drying before packing. The 

 most convenient bags may be made of tow cloth, from 

 7-8 to 4-4 wide, of three breadths each, from two to 

 tw-o and a quarter in length. As merino sheep cannot 

 fee washed to much advantage, the wool must be wash- 



