RAM 



RAM 



writer in proie, and was author of many political pamphlets, 

 which were much applauclt-d in their lime ; but his chief 

 work was " The Hiftory of England during tlie Rei;rns of 

 William, Anne, and George I., with an introduftory Re- 

 vievT of the Reigns of the Brothers Charles 11. and James II., 

 in which are to be found the Seeds of the Revolution. By 

 a Lover of Truth and Liberty," 2 vols. fol. 1774 — 6. 

 This work obtained the plaudits of Mr^ Fox, who, in his 

 poflhumous hiflorical fragment, fpeaks of the autlior as an 

 hiftorian of great acutenefs as well as diligence. The laft 

 publication of this author was entitled " The Cafe of Authors 

 by Profellion or Trade, ihited with regard to Bookfellers, 

 the Stage, and the Public," wliich is laid to contain much 

 good fenfe and lively fatire. Mr. Ralph died at Chifwick, 

 in the year 17^12. Gen. Biog. 



RAM, in Geography, a town of European Turkey, in 

 Servia, on the S. lidc of the Danube ; 10 miles E. of Faf- 

 farowitz. 



Ram, in Agncullure, the', male of the fheep kind. It 

 may be obferved, that tlie rams of different breeds of Iheep 

 vary greatly in their forms, wools, and fleeces, and other 

 properties ; but the following defcription by that excellent 

 ftock-farmer, Mr. Culley, deferves the attention of the 

 breeder and grazier. According to him, his head fhould be 

 fine and fmal!, his noflrils wide and expanded, his eyes pro- 

 minent, and rather bold or daring, ears thin, his collar full 

 from his breaft and flioulders, but tapering gradually all 

 the way to where the neck and head join, which fnould be 

 very fine and graceful, being perfectly free from any coarle 

 leather hanging down ; the (honlders broad and full, which 

 mult at tlie fame time join fo eafy to the collar forward, 

 andclunc backward, as to leave not the leafl; hollow in either 

 pfSb'e ; the mutton upon his arm or fore-thigh muft come 

 quite to the knee ; his legs upright, witli a clean fine bone, 

 being equally clear from fuperfluous fl<in and coarfe hairy 

 ■wool from the knee and liough downwards : the breall 

 broad and well forward, wiiich will keep his fore-legs at a 

 proper widenefs ; his girth or cheft full and deep, and iii- 

 ftead of a hollow behind the flioulders, that part by fome 

 called the fore-flank fliould be quite full ; the back and 

 loins broad, flat, and ilraight, from which the ribs mud 

 rife with a fine circular arch ; his belly ftraight ; tlie 

 quarters long and full, with the mutton quite down to the 

 hough, which (hould neither ftand in nor out ; his twiil, or 

 junction of the infide of the thighs, deep, wide, and full, 

 which, with the broad breaft, will keep his fore-legs open 

 and upright ; the whole body covered with a thin pelt, and 

 that with fine, bright, foft wool. It is obferved, that the 

 nearer any breed of flieep comes up to the above defcription, 

 the nearer they approach towards excellence of form. 



But though this is a very correft, appropriate, and admi- 

 rable defcription of a finely-formed ram, objettions have 

 been made by fome to a few of the properties which are 

 laid down. Width and cxpanfion of the nottrils in fiieep, 

 it is fuppofed, are liable to caufe the lower parts of the 

 nofes to be too thick and large ; while in naturally good 

 and improved forms, the lower parts of the nofes and 

 irtouths are for the moll part fmall. Nor is the pro- 

 minent and bold daring eye held in more eftimation, as it 

 is thought not to {h«w a good difpofition ; but, on the 

 contrary, to difplay too much quicknefs and at^ivity, or 

 wildnefs of nature in the animal. Opinions, however, differ 

 much on this point among flirep-farmers ; and a lively 

 quick eye is almoll aKvays cor.fidered as favourable to a 

 good difpofition. 



Rams naturally poflefs more boldnefs and courage than 

 either wethers or ewes ; and they are very apt, unlefs 



great care is taken, to acquire mifchievous habits of attack- 

 ing perfons or animals that may by accident approach them. 

 In fome Iheeji-dilhias the breeders are greatly in favour 

 of large rams, but in otliers thofe of a fmaller fize are pre- 

 ferred ; the choice of the fize of the rams fliouid, however, 

 in every inflance, be regulated by the nature and abundance 

 of the keep, or the quality of the lands, as. it is utterly im- 

 poilible that t!ie inferior forts of pallures can keep fhecp- 

 ilock of the large fize, as in thofe of the better kindb ; and 

 it would be highly difadvantageous in the befl rich forts to 

 have a (niall-fi/.cd ftock wlien they could fupport a large 

 one ill an equally perfect manner. Middle-fized rams arc, 

 upon the whole, the moll fuitable and proper for lands in 

 general, and for all the piirpofes of the breeder. 



The growth and conflitutions of young rams fhould never 

 be iuffercd to be endangered by their having too great a 

 number of ewes, as is too frequently the praftice with 

 flieep-breetlers. 



It IS a very improper cuilom, but one which prevails with 

 the graziers in fome fheep-diilricls, to keep all their rams, 

 perhaps to the amount of from twenty to fifty or more of 

 all kinds, in one field or pallure ; as their contentions are 

 often fo violent, efpecially about the riding time, as to 

 caufe the lois of one or two rams to each in all fucli cafes. 

 This praftice is the moll common in the flieep-dillridts to- 

 wards the fouthcrn part of the ifland, being feldom met 

 with in thofe of the midland or more northern part-;. It 

 ought to be every where done away with. 



The old rams are now almofl always got quit of by being 

 fattened as rams, and (old at the neighbouring markets, or to 

 butchers, at a very inferior price, there being often much 

 competition for this fort of low-priced meat in fome fitua- 

 tions. It was formerly, however, the cuilom in fome places 

 to knit them before they were fattened and foW to tlie 

 butchers or otherways, but much injury and lofs being 

 found to be fullained by that method, it has been left oft ; 

 it being now concluded, on the whole, that the lofs by knit- 

 ting the rams is greater than that which is fuffered in the 

 reduftion of the price of ram mutto..; 



The practice of letting out rams in the midland diflricls 

 for the purpofe of improving the breeds of fheep, having 

 produced fuch beneficial effe(?ls, the rife, nature, and pro- 

 grefs of it may deferve the attention of the ilock-farmer. 

 It has been ably and accurately delineated, in the following 

 manner, by Mr. Marfliall, in his Rural Economy of that 

 part of the kingdom. 



It is ftatcd, tiiat in this diftrift, in general, the manage- 

 ment refpeCling rams is fimilar to that of other parts of tfae 

 ifland ; the breeders rearing or purchajmg them. But that 

 it is obfervable, however, that the advocates of the old 

 breeds, though they will not adopt the modern flock, have 

 fallen, in fome degree, into the modern praftice oi letting by 

 \.\\e feafon. But tiiat the rams of the modern breed are nerer 

 fold ; but are paffed from breeder to breeder, by the feafon 

 only. And that for the purpofe of promoting this inter- 

 courfe, each principal breeder has hisyZiow of rams ; com- 

 mencing, by common confent, the 8th of June, and lafling 

 until Michaelmas, or until the feafon of letting be pail. 

 That during a few weeks after the fhows commesce, every 

 ram-breeder may be faid to keep open houfe. Breeders 

 and others, from all quarters of the kingdom, as well as 

 the promoters of the breed who refide in the neighbour- 

 hood, attend thefe fhows ; going, in parties, from one to 

 another ; fome to take, others to fee and pafs their judg- 

 ment. And that thefe private exhibitions clofe with a 

 public JImiu, at Leicefter, the 10th of Oftober ; when rams 

 of every defcription, but uioltly an inferior fort of the im- 

 proved 



