SHEEP. 



to their other defcft$. It is to be hoped, however, that a 

 more aftive exertion, and inveftigation of the matter, in fheep- 

 farmers, will in a (hort time be produftive of the requifite 

 improvement In this fort of hve-llock, and that by havmg 

 recourfe to fuperior modes of breeding, rearing, and manage- 

 ment, an equal pace will be kept in their advancement with 

 that of any other branch of the farmer's art. 



It may be noticed, notwithftanding what has been already 

 faid, that it is Hated to be almoft univerfally and unanimoufiy 

 the praftice of the breeders on the South Down hills, to ex- 

 change the rams every third, fourth, or fifth year, as it is 

 conceived eflentially neceflary to the prefervation of the 

 health, the fize, and the bone of the flocks, though quite 

 contrary to the maxims laid down by feme eminent (heep- 

 farmers, who are Itrenuous promoters of the method of breed- 

 ing in and in, or in the fame line, continually, when there 

 is a good breed or fort of fheep. Flocks that are ilatedto 

 have been nearly ruined in conilitution and habit by this 

 means, are faid to have had a wonderful improvement by 

 the change of the rams. See Breeding. 



The queition concerning the beft and moft profitable fize 

 of (heep for the purpofe of the grazing farmer, and for 

 producing the largelt acreable quantity of food and other 

 produfts for the ufe of the community, is a matter of very 

 great intereft and importance. Though it cannot probably 

 be dilputed but that different fized animals of this fort muft be 

 had recourfe to for different fituations, forts, and quahties of 

 land, Sec. yet the confiderate (heep-farmer will, perhaps, 

 molUy perceive the propriety of having his ground ftocked 

 with not too large a fort of (heep. It will moft likely be 

 the bed way for fuch farmers to fully confult the nature 

 and properties of the foils of their paiture or other lands, 

 previoufly to their fixing upon the fize of their (heep-llock 

 which will be the moft fuitable and advantageous for them, 

 as where their pafture or other grounds are inferior in their 

 nature and richnefs, the fize, of the hve-itock of this fort, 

 which is admitted, cannot with propriety be fo large as in the 

 contrary circumftances, even where light flocking is prac- 

 tifed, for liard and pinching feafons will reduce the flock to 

 the quality of the land. Though many are advocates for 

 very large-fized fheep, probably from want of fufficiently 

 confidering the nature of the fubjeft, it is never found that 

 thofc who flock with fuch fized animals, ever produce fo 

 much mutton on the acre, or gain fo great a profit on it, as 

 thofe who make ufe of a middling-fized flock. Some indeed 

 think that four fmall-fized (heep may be kept on the fame 

 extent of land which is required for three large ones ; and 

 that 1!) fome cafes, allowing the (heep to be equal in difpo- 

 fition, the fame number of fmall ones, of about nine ilone 

 each, may be fattened on the land that will barely be fuifi- 

 cient to feed three of from ten to eleveu flones. Small-fized 

 flieep-flock have alfo many other advantages <ittending them. 

 Many make complaints againfl fiicep with improved forms, 

 fuch as the new Lcicefler, as being too fmall, from the mif- 

 taken idea of their clofe form, as although they may be 

 (hort and compaft, there is a greater width and depth of car- 

 cafe in them ; by which they do not come much, if any thing, 

 (hort of the weight of the more apparently large breeds. 



It is unqucllionably a great error and defedt in the (heep- 

 grazing practice to choofe (heep of too large a fize for the 

 conflitution of the foil, and the quality of ibe keep which 

 it affords. The nature of keep will indeed itfelf be the 

 caufe of different fizes in fheep-flock, if they be fteadily 

 maintained on the fame fort of land for fome length of time, 

 and this in fome meafure has produced the differences of fize 

 in the different breeds of this animal. 



Tlie particular advantages of the different fizes of (heep 

 Vol. XXXII. 



may be fummed up fomewhat in this way. Thofe of thr 

 large fort are fuppofed capable of being kept in equal pro- 

 portion, on the fame quantity of land, and of bringing more 

 money at the market, than the fmaller breeds ; they are like- 

 wife conceived to fatten in a more kind m.anncr. If the firft 

 of thefe conclufions were true, they would certainly have a 

 decided fuperiority, but the refult of well-made trials, with 

 equal proportions on the fame paflures, (hew the contrary to 

 be the cafe. And in regard to the latter, it has probably 

 proceeded from its being noticed that the largeft (heep are 

 moflly the ftrongeft and befl (haped, vfithout confidcrinff 

 that they are always below the quality or conftitution of 

 the foil or land on which they are fed or fattened ; hence it 

 is by no means in favour of large (lieep on all kinds of land. 

 And though it is fomewhat generally allowed, that two fmall 

 (heep of the fame breed will equal in weight one large one, 

 yet the latter will have lefs offal in proportion than they, 

 which is certainly a defirable property in large flock of thilt 

 kind. 



Small (heep-ftock are however more aftive, and feed clofer 

 than large, as well as on food which is of an inferior quality ; 

 they are capable of being ftocked in the proportion of three 

 to two on the land ; they will produce more meat on the 

 acre, and be more hardy than large breeds ; they injure paf- 

 tures lefs than large forts ; they will, where the proportion* 

 are the fame in relation to the fizes, fooneft become fat in 

 the fmalleft, in any two fheep. This may probably be con- 

 eluded as always the cafe, where the regularity of form and 

 proportions are equally good and exaft : as fmall (heep reach 

 the flate of maturity fooner than large ones, the fmaller 

 breeds are ready for fale five, fix, or more months before the 

 large, which is beneficial in every way : the fmaller breed* 

 of (heep are almoft conflantly preferred by the butchers, as 

 the mutton is more fuitable, faleablc, and defireable at par- 

 ticular feafons, and as having two fifth quarters inftead of 

 one, where the weights are equal. It may, therefore, upon 

 the whole, be confidered as the intereft and advantage of 

 grazing farmers in general to breed, rear, and fatten flieep 

 which are of the middling fize, however they may have hither, 

 to been led away by other circumftances, fuch as great fize, 

 extreme fatnefs, &c. without fufficiently taking into the ac- 

 count the expence at which they are produced. 



What regards the proof of (heep is more the intereft of 

 the butcher than the grazing farmer; but it has much to do 

 with the difference of breed, as all the more thin-flcfhed 

 breeds of fheep, as the South Down, the Norfolk, the 

 WcKh, and feveral others, moflly die well for the advantage 

 of the butcher, while thofc of the flefUy fort, which have 

 improved difpofitions, fuch as the new Leiccfler, &c. com. 

 monly die to his difadvantagc ; fo that where the great 

 objedl is proof, fuch breeds muft be chofen as approach th« 

 moft to the former. It is not, however, probably the breed 

 fimply, but tlie form of the flicep that gives the proof. 

 But as fucli fliecp as afford great proof moflly require a 

 longer time in fattening, the grazing farmer fhould be care- 

 ful not to breed or purchafe luch flieep as are fo formed as 

 to convert their food into tallow, in the place of enlarging 

 the fize of their mufcular parts, and producing meat of ^ 

 fufficiently fat quality. 



The age of llu-ep has alfo much to do in the proof which 

 is afforded by them, as the older they arc, in general, the 

 better they die in this particular, as their full growth allows 

 thenourifhment to gofor fat ortallow, accordingtothc nature 

 of the fheep, as where the form is inclined to be bad there 

 will be more tallow, but where the difpofition has a tendency 

 to be good, more fat produced on tlie outfide. Keep hai 

 likcwife (gmc influence on proof as the bed pafturcSj and fuch 

 3 I a« 



