178 gHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 



NuMBERiNw AND REGISTERING. — Tliis is not absolutely necessary for tha 

 '■cool-grower, though it is, in many points of view, a vast convenience to 

 nim, and leads to a degree of system in his effoits after improvement, and 

 gives a definileness and precision to the execution of his plans, otherwise 

 unattainable. But the breeder — he who makes it his business more par- 

 ticularly to raise choice animals to sell for breeding purposes — is unwoi- 

 thy of the name, if he does not regularly number and register his sheep, 

 so that he can trace the descent of any ram or ewe, through any number 

 of generations. This is not merely to gratify an idle curiosity, or to fur- 

 r^ish a purchaser with a sounding pedigree. Every breeder is under the ne 

 cessity of directly breeding in-and-in, or of occasionally employing new 

 strains of blood. If the latter step is often resorted to, the hazard is in- 

 creased of changing the character of the flock.* If he numbers and regis- 

 ters his sheep, he can breed " closer,"! and consequently longer, without a 

 change, without the hazard of confusion or mistake. Where half a dozen, 

 or even three or four rams are used in the flock the same year, it would be 

 beyond the power of any breeder, relying on his memory alone, to decide, 

 six or eight or ten years subsequently, which were the daughters, grand- 

 daughters, and great-grand-daughters of each. If the rams A and B be un- 

 related, A may be put to the daughters of B, and then B be put to the 

 produce, (?. c, his own grand-daughter, got by A,) without "close" breed- 

 inor — because they possess but one-quarter of the same blood. Then tlie 

 great-grand-daughter may be again put to A, because she possesses but one- 

 quarter of his blood. As I remarked in my last Letter, with three strains 

 of blood to start with, the breeder may ring innumerable changes, without 

 ever trenching on that line which marks the boundaries of close breeding. 

 He who pretends that he can preserve such multiplied classifications in 

 his memory alone, is unworthy of the least confidence. 



There is another very important consideration. Numbering and regis- 

 tering enables the breeder to trace breeding effects definitely to their causes. 

 Suppose that he finds that an unusual number of his young ewes are 

 poor nurses — or exhibit some imperfection of form or wool. He can re- 

 move the present cff'ecthy throwing out the defective ones. But the undis- 

 covered cause may still remain in operation. It may be a particular ram 

 or the result of interbreeding between such ram, and ewes of a certaii 

 strain of blood. If this ram, ov j^crhajys others got by him, be permitted to 

 breed, or breed with a particular class of ewes, the evil creeps along in the 

 flock, its cause remaining undiscovered. But if the breeder could fix the 

 precise pedigree of every sheep, from an accurately kept register, he 

 would soon ascertain what strains of blood, or the conjunction of what 

 strains, produced the evil. By the same means, he could as readily trace 

 *.he sources of particular excellence. 



The system of numbering invented by the celebrated Von Thaer is far 

 preferable to any other which I have seen.| It is as follows : |! 



- A rsm of a new strain of blood, thoueh of prime quality, and apparently possessinc the same charac- 

 tcrieties with the tiock, does not always iirterhreed well with the Hock in all those minute particulars which 

 the brieder \< hound to notice, though they misht escape the eye of the ordinary tlock-master. Every 

 breeder, iherefnre, who has a flock that suits him, is exceedingly averse to an infusion of new blood, and 

 resorts to it only as a matter of necessity. 



t That is, he can breed, in-and-in somewhat. " Close." breeding; is breedinp between Tumr affinities, such 

 RS between brother and sister, which are of the tame blood, or between a father and a grand-daughter be- 

 gotten on a daushter, wliich would be three-fourths of the same blood. &c. 



X It will not cmise half the mutilation of the system given in the American Shepherd— is simple, and 

 gives the age. -.vhiih the former does not Neither can this Ey>tem of giving the age be ingrafted oft 

 lliat system of numberina. ... . , , 



II As fumishcd me 1>, Mr Grove, ft number of years since, with this exception, that the point of th« 

 right car cut sqiinre oft", he made to stand for 700 instead of 500, as I have placed it. I made this cbinge, 

 M the notch and clip standing for 100 and 400. coining on the point of the same ear, there wis no cum 

 t'inalion t<i oxpre.'s aiK. 



