RAM. 



proved breed, are collefted ; being brought in waggons ; 

 many of them from a confidL'rable diftance ; fome to be 

 fold, but chiefly to be kt for the feafon. That this fliow 

 has been held, he believes, time immemorial ; not, however, 

 for the purpofe oi letting, but for that oi fale. Biit the let- 

 ting of rams by the feafon, has long, lie underlla-nds, been a 

 pradlice in Lincolnfhire. However, the origin, in the mid- 

 land diilritls, may be traced — to a ram let by Mr. Bakcweli, 

 at Leicelter fair, about forty years ago, at the low price 

 of fixteen (hillings. But humble, however, as was this 

 beginning, it proved, Mr. Marshall fays, to be the firlt 

 ftone of the foundation of a department of rural bufinefs, 

 that, has already rifen to an aftonifhing height, and may, 

 for fome length of time, continue to bring in a copious 

 fource of wealth to the country. In the management of 

 this bufmefs, the principal ram-breeders fave annually, 

 twenty, thirty, or perhaps forty ram-lambs ; caftration 

 beino-'feldom applied, in the firll inftance, to the produce 

 of a valuable ram. For, in the choice of thefe lambs, they 

 are led more by blood, or parentage, than by form ; on 

 which, at an early age, little dependance can be placed. 

 He adds, that their treatment, from the time they are 

 weaned, in July or Auguft, until the time of (hearing, the 

 firft week in June, confifts in giving them every indulgence 

 of keep; in order to pufh them forward for the (how : it being 

 the common praftice to let iuch as are fit to be let the firft 

 feafon ; while they are yet yearlings — ^rowncxdWy Jljarhogs. 

 Their iirft pafture, after weaning, is pretty generally, he be- 

 lieves, clover that has been mown early, and has got a fecond 

 time into head : the heads of clover being confidcred as a 

 moft forcing food for (heep. After this goes ofi, turnips, 

 cabbages, colewort, with hay, and report fays, with corn. 

 But the ufe of this the breeders feverally deny, though, 

 coUeftively, they may be liable to the charge. However 

 this may be, fomething confiderable depends on the art of 

 making up, — not lambs only, but rams of all ages. Fat, 

 like charity, covers a multitude of faults ; and, bcfide, is the 

 beft evidence their owners can produce, oi xheW fatting quality, 

 — their natural propenfity to a (late of fatnefs ; while in 

 the fatnefs of the (liarhogs is feen their degree of inclination 

 to fat at an early age. And that the fatting quality being 

 the one thing needful in grazing (lock : and being found, in 

 fome confiderable degree at leaft, to be hereditary, — the 

 fatteft rams areof courie the hefl ; though other attachments, 

 well or ill placed, as to form, or fadiionable points, will per- 

 haps have equal or^ greater weight in the minds of fome 

 men, even in this enlightened age and diftritt. And the fliear- 

 lings, which will not make up fufficiently, as to form and 

 fatnefs, are either kept on to another year, to give them a 

 fair chance, or are caitrated, or butchered, while (harhogs. 



With regard to the fliowing, it is remarked, that tlie 

 (hows of the principal breeders confift, by common confent, 

 of forty rams each, moftly from one to five years old, 

 they being feldom found efficient after that age ; fome, 

 however, will continue in vigour to the fixth or feventli 

 year. And that, during the (how, they are moftly kepi in 

 fmall inclofures, of two, three, or four acres ; with three, 

 four, or more rams in each, according to their ages, and 

 the advancement of the feafon. And in a corner, or other 

 convenient part of each paddock, a fmall pen, made with 

 hurdles, is placed ; for the purpofe of handling them. Into 

 thefe pens they go, through cuftom, as traAabiy as worked 

 oxen to their ftalls. Indeed, the old rams, from the un- 

 wieldinefs of their frame, and the load of fat they have to 

 carry at this feafon, as well as from habit, will fuffer them- 

 felves to be handled abroad ; and even appear to take plea- 

 fure in the refpeft which they have (hewn them. But it is 



obferved, that of late a new method of (howing has been 

 (truck out by the leading breeder, and adopted by one at 

 leaft of his followers. Indead of (howing them abroad, 

 ai d driving three or four of them up together in a pen, they 

 are fliut up in hovels, and brought out feparatcly, being never 

 feen together. He thinks, that among accurate judges, this 

 mode of (howing may be well enough ; but to tliofe who 

 have had Ids experience it gives o(rence, as it deprives them 

 of their beft guide, compariion ; and he can fee no fair ad- 

 vantage accruing from it to the latter. 



It is remarked, that though the dcfirable points of a ram 

 are fuch as have been noticed, the choice ot the hii-er is 

 determined, in fome meafure, by the mtention for which 

 he is about to hire : as whether it be that of getting 

 wedders, or mere grazing (lock : or rams for the purpofe 

 of letting. Hence the grazier and the ram-breeder choofe 

 different (heep, fo as to fuit their different purpofes. He 

 adds, that the charafteriftic diflFerence between what is 

 termed a ram-gelter and a tvcdtkr-gelter, or a good grazier's 

 (heep, is that of the former being every where cleaner and 

 finer, the head fmall, the bone and offal light, the fle(h 

 good, and the form beautiful. The mere grazier likes a 

 ram no worfe for having a ftrcngth of frame, and is le(s 

 Icrupulous about his form than the ram-breeder, whofe 

 great objeft is linenefs : his ewes, and the natural ten- 

 dency of the breed, ferve to give his offspring lize and 

 fubftance when it is wanted. 



In refpedl to the praftice of letting, it is obferved, that 

 a novel circumftance has likewife taken place lately in the 

 bufinefs of letting. The long eftablifhed cuftom of fetting 

 a price was exploded, at leaft by the late Mr. Bakewell, 

 and one of hi^ difciples ; v.'hoie cuftomers were left to mfike 

 their own valuations, and bid what they pleafed. But this, 

 as well as (hewing them feparately, it is obferved, gives 

 great offence, efpecially to ftrangers, who cannot brook the 

 idea of being both buyers and fellers. The latter, hov*- 

 ever, has more than one advantage in referving the price, 

 provided he do not thereby drive away his cuftomers : he is, 

 in effeft, letting to the beft bidder. Befide, he is, through 

 this mean, enabled to regulate his prices to his cuftomers, 

 without giving any of them pointed offence : for as the 

 principal breeders are, in the nature of their bufinefs, com- 

 petitors, it is no more than common good policy, in the 

 leader at leaft, to advance himfelf, and keep back thofe 

 who prefs upon him clofeft. It is, therefore, good ma- 

 nagement, Mr. Marfhall thinks, in him to let a fuperior 

 ram to an inferior breeder, whofe ewes are yet of bafe 

 blood, at a lower price than to one who is farther advanced, 

 and whole ewes perhaps are nearly equal to his own : for if 

 the hirer may not thereby be able to get the lead from him, 

 he may run away with part of the beft prices ; and the only 

 line the leader has to tread is, either to refufe him, or to 

 make him pay in the firft inftance. And again : fometimes 

 two or three capital breeders will join in the hiring of one 

 fuperior ram ; and, in this cafe, the blood being more widely 

 difperfed, the price ought to be, and always is advanced, in 

 proportion to the number of partners there may be in the 

 bufinefs. Hence, in the leader, a rcfervation of price may 

 be allowable, efpecially in the letting of firft-rate rams. 



He obferves, in regard to the conditions of letting, that 

 notwithftanding the number of years the letting of rams has 

 now been in ufe, and the extraordinary height to which the 

 prices have rifen, the tranfaftion does not appear to have 

 yet received any fettled form ; nor to have been rendered 

 legally binding, by any written articles, or conditions of 

 letting ; much being ftill left to the honour of the parties. 

 It is, however, generally underilood, that the price agreed 



upon 



