356 MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF SHEEP 



which bloom brings with it. Bloom may be defined as 

 that condition in which form, wool and action are pleas- 

 ing and attractive. It indicates present and prospective, 

 continued thrift. Animals long maintained under high 

 pressure feeding at length lose their bloom, and when 

 they do they cannot again regain it to the same extent, as 

 the energies of the system have been weakened by over- 

 work. To sell sheep at auction that are low in flesh or 

 lacking in bloom is a great mistake. Sheep held for sale 

 at home or elsewhere, should be at least measurably 

 trimmed with the shears. The nature of the trimming 

 will depend on the kind of the sheep and the conditions 

 under which they have been kept. Trimming improves 

 the appearance of the sheep. The claim that it tends to 

 deceive is not valid, as the intending purchaser is not 

 debarred from handling the sheep. If he neglects to 

 handle them, he may be deceived by the fleece of the 

 sheep untrimmed as well as by the fleece of that trimmed. 

 When sold in lots at home or in the sale ring, the respec- 

 tive lots should be carefully graded. This means that the 

 individuals in the respective lots should be chosen with 

 reference to similarity in age, size and type. Such uni- 

 formity is pleasing to the eye, and it brings added value 

 to the lots thus sold. Those sold at auction should be 

 numbered on the side or back with ink applied with 

 stamp or stencil, that they may be readily identified. 

 Portable pens will be greatly helpful in bringing lots to 

 the sale ring. 



Disposal of grades More commonly grade sheep 

 grown upon the farm are disposed of as lambs ; that is, 

 under the age of 12 months. The exact age for such dis- 

 posal will depend on the aims of the grower and on his 

 facilities for furnishing lambs at different ages. It would 

 seem correct to say that, as a rule, the profit made from 

 lambs decreases relatively with increase in age, providing 

 that in all instances they are put upon the market in fin- 

 ished form. A well-fed lamb two or three months old 



