BREEDING OF SHEEP. 73 



for the purpose of feeding them, until a proper age 

 for use, it would be proper also, for the communes to 

 put good rams to their flocks. 



Q. Why are good rams more necessary than good 

 ewes, for the improvement of a flock. 



A . A ram produces every year, at least, fifteen or 

 twenty lambs,* whilst a ewe has commonly but one ; 

 fifteen or twenty times more ewes would be required 

 to procure the same improvement. 



Q. Can a breed of sheep be improved without in- 

 curring expense ? 



A. Expense may be avoided, but much time is 

 required : melioration is made by degrees : if the best 

 male lambs are selected every year, to become rams, 

 when of a suitable age, and the best female lambs 

 chosen to be put to the rams so selected, each gen- 

 eration will be better than the preceding, but the 

 progress will be slow. 



Q. Are there other means of sooner improving a 

 flock of sheep, and attended with little expense ? 



A. A ram from a better breed, than that intended 

 to be improved, should be purchased ; such rams may 

 be found in the neighbourhood,and cannot cost much : 

 if it is required to go further for them, it is still not 

 expensive ; much time is thereby saved, because the 

 rams having qualities superior to the best ewes, se- 

 lected from the breed intended to be improved, and 

 coupled with them, produce lambs of a better quali- 



* The increase from rams, as above stated, was at least double th$ 

 above estimate...//Mzar<i 



10 



