66 THE DOMESTIC SHEEP. 



buyer. This, however, is avoided by adding a moderate 

 quantity of some non-drying oil to the fleece the day after 

 the washing is done, thus restoring the softness and elasticity 

 to the fiber. If two weeks are permitted to elapse before 

 the shearing, and the sheep are kept in a dry, clean grass 

 field, the wool will have regained its natural softness. 



It is a question among experts whether excess of yolk 

 is a desirable quality of a fleece. The old authorities in this 

 regard favored the largest quantity of yolk. The leading old 

 writer on sheep, Mr. Youatt, was of the belief that no 

 amount of yolk might be thought excessive. But the old 

 beliefs have generally been discarded in the majority of in- 

 stances, in all kinds of scientific matters, for the reason that 

 these things were only very partially understood half a cen- 

 tury ago, and we have a far better knowledge of the reasons 

 for things now than were then possible. Mr. Randall, one 

 of the highest early authors on sheep, thought as most 

 of his successors do to-day that excessive yolk was a waste 

 of material for no use, and the matter of it might be more 

 economically disposed of some other way. As nothing comes 

 from nothing, we may be sure that the shepherd must pay 

 in some way for the yolk in the wool, just the same as the 

 wool itself costs an equivalent of money spent in feed, of 

 which it is a product. But yolk is an absolute necessity for 

 the well growing of the fleece, and an abundant supply of it 

 is a great safeguard against some of the diseases of wool 

 above described. But this matter may be left to work 

 itself out as every other of the same sort is doing, and will 

 do, by the good sense of the intelligent leaders of this great 

 interest. 



SHEEP DIPS AND DIPPING SHEEP. 



One of the most important parts of the management of 

 sheep, next to the feeding, is the occasional dipping of the 

 flock. This is essentially a process of cleansing the skin, 

 and. avoiding the diseases of it, and the fleece together, 

 that may be reached in this way. This process is essential 

 to the welfare of every flock. Generally it is gone through 

 once a year. But experience and a considerable reduction in 

 the cost of the process, have tended to encourage the practice 

 of dipping twice and even three times in the year. Twice 

 in the year is really indispensable for the health and comfort 



