SHEEP. 167 



ed soon after shearing", to pre rent it from fermentiog 

 and spoiling in hot weather. 



Ewes should not have lambs until they are two years 

 old, as it stints them in their growth ; and they have so 

 little milk, that their lambs either die, or are always 

 small and inferior. A yearling sheep has at its first 

 shearing, two broad teeth before, besides its narrow 

 teeth ; when sheared the second dme, it has four ; the 

 third time six; and the fourth, eight. They are then 

 said to be full-mouihed. At seven and eight years they 

 begin to lose their front teeth. Whenever this happens, 

 they should be turned off to fat, as they are then upon 

 the decline. 



Mr. Livingston says, the size of the ewes, more than 

 that of the ram, governs the size of their lambs ; that 

 the ewes of a small race cannot bear large lambs, though 

 the ram be ever so large. For this reason, the lambs 

 which are raised from a merino ram, on our common 

 ewes, will be larger than those raised from one of our 

 common rams on merino ewes. But as sheep are sup- 

 posed to eat nearly in proportion to their size, those of 

 a medium size are the most profitable. To improve our 

 breed of sheep, take ewes that are at least three years 

 old, as large as can be obtained of the sort, with the 

 belly large and well covered with wool, chine and loin 

 broad, breast deep, buttocks full, the eyes lively, the 

 bag large, and the teats long. They must have fine 

 short thick wool, with the least hair on the hinder 

 parts. In the choice of a ram, which we will suppose 

 to be three-fourths blooded, select one that is of good 

 size, broad in the chine and loins, deep in the carcase, 

 the back straight, the ribs well set out, so as to give room 

 for a large belly, well covered with wool, the forehead 

 broad, the eyes lively : Let him also be strong, close- 

 knit, and active ; and let his wool be of good quality, 

 and as clear of hair on the hinder parts as possible. The 

 product of such a ram, with common ewes, would be 

 lambs nine twenty-fourth parts of merino blood ; and 

 twice repeating the process on the females of successive 

 products, would give three-fourth blooded lambs. Two 

 further repetitions from a full-blooded ram, would give 

 Jambs possessing fifteen-sixteenths of merino blood, 

 which is probably sufficient. The ram, however, ought 



