SHEEP. 



I 



frame or bone not too large for the quality of their keep ; 

 they mud have a due relative proportion of parts ; they 

 muft handle free and mellow in their flefh ; they muft have a 

 peculiar appearance of countenance ; and they mull be 

 perfeftly tame and quiet. There are alio other caufes 

 which in feme meafure conduce to this end, but they are of 

 lefs certainty in their operation, fuch as the ilate and aftion 

 of the blood in their fyllems, &c. The external forms and 

 quahties of fheep which fhew a good difpofition are, a 

 fmallnefs of the head, athinnefs and Ihortnefs of the neck, a 

 deep wide bread, a widenefs over the flioulders, a broad, 

 ftraight and deep carcafe or barrel, a fmallnefs of bone and 

 feet, the joints moderately fhort, the mulcles or fle(h plump 

 and full, with a thinnefs about the infertion : the (l<in mid- 

 dhngly thin and mellow, of a fine texture, and a clear red 

 and white colour ; the wool of a yellowifh-white appear- 

 ance, a curly nature, and neither too long nor too fhort, 

 but thickly fet, the fat and fledi foft, with fome fort of 

 firmnefs in handling, and the countenance pleafant, and in- 

 clined to quietnefs. 



The improved difpofition or quality of Iheep is promoted 

 by taking them from poorer or inferior keepor foils, to fuch 

 as are of a better and more rich kind, as in the cafe of leeds : 

 but the removing of them from rich foils or keep, to lucii as 

 are of a worfe nature, has directly the contrary effeft. The 

 quality of the flefh, in one cafe, becomes foft and mellow, 

 while in the other it gets more clofe and hard. 



The nature and quality of the land or foil, when any 

 breed of fheep are kept upon it for a length of time, will, it 

 is believed, throw out the fuitable fize for it, and certain acci- 

 dental qualities will occur according to its fort, which, when 

 properly managed by the breeder, will afford an improved dif- 

 pofition in the animals. In fuch a cafe improvements may 

 have a probability of being produced, by having the male 

 fmaller in fize than the female, and by changing him from 

 too good or rich keep, fo that his conilitution may be in 

 fome meafure delicate, by the female having her nouridiment 

 regular, and fo as at no time to be lowered in fledi ; and 

 when a more full fupply of food may be wanted, by the 

 increafe being moderate, fo as to preferve rich keep for the 

 young, in its advancing growth ; by breeding from fuch 

 fheep as are the mod kindly, (hew the bell difpofition, and 

 allow the fulled profit, on the particular foil or land on 

 which they are bred and padured ; by choofing and felefting 

 the middle-fized fheep of the flock to breed from, and not 

 the larged, as it is favourable to be rather under than over 

 the quahty of the loil or land for forming good difpofition; 

 by refra.ning to breed from fheep difplaying a bad difpofition, 

 or which have defefts ; and by cautioufly ufing for this pur- 

 pofe ewes which have had lambs, and are not too old, as 

 difpofition is fuppofed more likely to be produced from the 

 fecond than the fird lamb : and ladly. by the mode of breed- 

 ing that is called in and in, or in the fame line, which greatly 

 Contributes tot^'rm d^fpufition. 



In the degenerated form of fheep, the reverfe of all 

 this will, of courfe, moftly take place ; they will have 

 thefe qualities or properties in a larger or fmaller degree ; 

 their heads will be generally diort and thick, though occa- 

 fionally rather long, and of a coarfe nature ; the neck, for 

 the mod part, long, thick, and concave in the higher part ; 

 the carcafe long and thin, and the ribs flat, ufually termed 

 " flat-fid' d," while in improved (heep they bow out almod 

 at right angles with the fpine, in lomewhat the barrel man- 

 ner. Narrow (houlders, the loin not wide, the back not 

 draight, and the belly gutty ; the bread or ched contrafted, 

 without being deeply let down ; the legs long, and thigh 



not full or flefhy ; the flefh thin, of a clofe texture, and 

 thick about the infertion of the mufcular parts ; the feet 

 large and coarfe ; the flefh hard in handling, or what is 

 fometimes denominated " dicky ;" the countenance far from 

 pleafant, and the nature wild ; the wool coarfe and hempy ; 

 but capable of improvement by attention ; difficult, or 

 requiring time in fattening ; the mutton often of good 

 quality for eating, of a firm grain, fweet flavour, and 

 abounding in gravy. 



Sh?ep of this kind in general require a much gt eater quan- 

 tity of food for their growth and fupport, and for fattening, 

 than the improved fort, which is a circumdance that muft 

 evidently be dtiadvantageous to the breeder, glazier, and 

 the whole community, 



All fuch perfons as are in the habit of breeding and fat- 

 tening (lieep, and "have fufScient experience, find that they 

 depend on the qualities or properties of their breeds far 

 gr^i.vth and improvement : fome will not fatten at all, or be ' 

 as lo.-g aga n in fattening as others, and this mod commonly 

 occurs in fuch as are not of the individual's own particular 

 breeo or kind. The degeneracy of fheep is readily feen and 

 eafily proved in the management of them. And fome confi- 

 der almod the whole of the breeds or varieties of this country 

 to be more or lefs in this date, or that there is not probably 

 more than one which can be faid to be truly in an improved 

 condition, on the cxadl principles of improved forms. 



This degeneracy is in a great meafure the confequence of 

 neglecl or error in the breeders and managers of fheep, as 

 when they thrive and fatten well, that is to be attributed to 

 proper feleftion, fuitable keep, and a due regard to the 

 true and exaft principles of management : but when, on 

 the contrary, they do not go on to fatten well, but decline 

 into a date of degeneracy, it proceeds from negledl, darva- 

 tion, and the want of fuch true principles in their regulation 

 and management. As though a lamb may poffefs good pro- 

 portions, yet from negleft and other caufes, it may be re- 

 duced to a date of poverty ; which, when it takes place, its 

 degeneracy may be dated from that period, as its conftitu- 

 tion is injured, and an unfavourable aftion is given to the 

 fydem. The longer it is kept in this date, and the more 

 frequent the changes it may undergo, the more confpicuous 

 will its degeneracy be. Nature,then,itis fuppofed, will throw 

 out indications in conformity to this decline ; the head will 

 increafe in fize in a greater proportion than the other parts. 

 The body will become thin and long ; the bones will be ir- 

 regular in their growth ; and there will be a want of fymme- 

 try in the whole fyitem. The caufes which are the found- 

 ation of iucli degeneracy are believed to be thefe ; the rams 

 being too large in fize, and kept in too high a manner ; thefe 

 and the ewes not being well adapted to the foil, but too 

 large ; the lamb? being kept in an occafional date of want 

 or darvation ; the negled m not breeding a proper number 

 for the purpofe of feleftion ; the ignorance of breeders in re- 

 gard to the true principles, in refpeft to the forms of fheep 

 or their management ; the frequent erodings of varieties of 

 the fame breed ; the prcfence of dry fummers and hard 

 winters, which tend to incline the conditution to an unfa- 

 vourable action, and confequent degeneracy ; and the want 

 of good water, which is very prejudicial to fheep. 



It is fuggeded, that it is to be lamented, that almod all the 

 breeds, in every fltuation, are found to have one or other of the 

 bad properties or qualities already noticed. However, of all . 

 fheep, the fhape or form of that of the Indian fort is probably 

 the word which IS produced; and the Wiltfhire, theWelfh,and 

 many other breeds, are not without partaking of too many of 

 the properties and imperfeftions of the fame kind, in addition 

 01 to 



