MARKET CLASSES AND GRADES OF SHEEP. 593 



PLATE 9. COMMON OR CULL LAMBS. NOTE THE UNTHRIFTY APPEARANCE 



AND LACK OF SIZE. 



thinner western lambs are sent to the country as feeders, hence na- 

 tives form the bulk of common or cull lambs. Under present metli- 

 ods of sheep husbandry, it is impossible to send all native lambs to 

 market in desirable condition because growers of natives have not 

 yet learned how to keep them free from infestation by internal par- 

 asites, and when they are infested to any great extent, they do not 

 take on fat. 



In both the common and medium grades are frequently seen 

 what are known as coarse, "bucky," native lambs. These are the 

 result of careless shepherding on the part of growers. If lambs 

 are left entire they rapidly become coarse when their sex instinct 

 develops, and because of this coarseness and the loss of fat result- 

 ing from a great amount of fretful activity, they are undesirable 

 as mutton. While it is not the purpose to discuss any question of 

 shepherding in this connection, it may be said in passing that grow- 

 ers of natives would save much to themselves annually if they 

 would make it a practice to castrate their ram lambs a few days 

 after they are born. These coarse, "bucky" lambs are heavier than 

 the bulk of common lambs, as they sometimes weigh as much as 

 i oo pounds. 



The term, "cull," is common parlance in sheep market circles, 

 but it has a double meaning. One applies to the lowest grade un- 

 der a given class, and it is in this sense that the writer uses the 



