S7 



PART III. 



OF SHEEP. 



A SHEEP, perhaps, is one of the most useful 

 animals of our country : their annual fleece being 

 manufactured at home, or in our now flourishing 

 woollen manufactories, afford us a neat and com- 

 fortable apparel; their flesh a wholesome food for 

 our tables. 



Sheep are of a hot nature, and require to be 

 kept cool ; they should not be housed, except in 

 rainy weather. Ewes, before they lamb, should 

 have corn, beans or turnips every day, which 

 will enable them to bring forth their young with 

 vigour. After they have lambed, a few potatoes 

 every day will make a flow of milk : if they 

 should bring on a looseness, give them corn in- 

 stead of potatoes. 



Sheep should be sheared, the moon increasing; 

 their wool will be longer and better : some shear 

 their lambs in August, aflirming that the suc- 

 ceeding fleece is not the less for it. Sheep should 

 be washed in the spring with a decoction of to- 

 bacco ; this will kill the ticks, and prevent their 

 rubbing the wool oflf, 



I shall now enumerate some of the maladies to 

 which sheep are subject. 



PLAGUE. 



Wash the sheep in alum and salt water, and 

 give them to drink a decoction of rue and balm 

 leaves. 



D 



