SHEEP. 



may get properly fat before winter, and go off fufficiently 

 early, which would otherwife not be the cafe. The latter 

 method is thought unqueftionably to be the moit profitable ; 

 but thofe who have not a fufficient fupply of fummer pallure, 

 conceive that it will pay them better to keep three to the 

 acre, in barely a thriving ftate, and fatten them in the fol- 

 lowing fpring and fummer. However, though they may 

 continue to increafe in fize, it is molt likely they will not 

 be of more value at Michaelmas than they were in the 

 fpring ; fo that there is a clear lofs of the whole fummer 

 keep : as mutton may often fell for 6j-. or js. the flone in the 

 {pring, and not bring more than from 4^. to jj. at that pe- 

 riod in the autumn. It has been long a quellion, whether 

 other (heep or old barrens fatten the moit quickly, on which 

 it may be noticed, that any increafe in the food lif tuU-grown 

 flieep mufl. have a tendency to the formation of fat, 

 whereas in wethers or other young (heep, it mull be partly 

 expended in the evolution and developement of their frames, 

 and, of courle, lefs fat be produced. Much, however, will 

 depend upon the fize anddifpofition of the fheep. 



There is great ditference in the prattice of different gra- 

 ziers, in regard to the time and mannef of drawing the 

 fheep for the market, fome beginning much earlier than 

 others, though the fheep were all put into the fattening 

 paftures at the fame time. Some draw the worfl of the fheep 

 iirft, conceiving that the prime (heep pay the belt for keep- 

 ing ; while others fend them to market as they get fat, by 

 which means, time is given for the advancement of the more 

 common ones. Which of thefe methods is the moll to be pre- 

 ferred, it is not at all attempted to determ.ine ; but the fend- 

 ing of inferior mutton to market, it may be remarked, is 

 only giving it away, while, on the contrary, the retaining of 

 fuch (heep as are deficient in difpofition to fatten, is a com- 

 plete lofs of the keep of them. Towards the end of the 

 fummer, keep, however, is of but little value, and, of 

 courfe, their remaining a little longer is not of any material 

 confequence. It is therefore thought, perhaps, the bed 

 not to part with them until the approach of autumn, when 

 inferior mutton often fells well in the vicinity of the marfh, 

 or to difpofe of them to lamb butchers at a fomewhat reduced 

 price. This inconvenience would, however, be much re- 

 moved by a better and more proper felection of the fheep than 

 that which at prefent is the cafe. 



In fending the fheep to market, care fliould be taken to 

 have them as nearly as poffible of the fame fize and condition, 

 as a few inferior ones are apt to lower the value with the 

 butchers. In this intention they are by fome divided into 

 two or three lots, while others fend them in one only ; the 

 former, however, in general obtain the highed prices. By 

 more attention to the regulation of fize and keep, a greater 

 equality would be met with in the wether flieep on the fat- 

 tening pafliires of the diftrift than that which at prefent 

 prevails. 



In the fyflem of thefe marfhes, the ewes which are de- 

 jigned for breeding ram-lambs from, are felefted and drawn 

 before the riding lime, as direftly upon the weaning feafon, 

 or a few weeks previous to giving them the ram ; there being 

 great differences in the forms and fizes which are thought the 

 bed calculated for this purpofe, in the notions of different 

 graziers; fome preferring large, others middhng fizes, while 

 many edeem molt, fuch as have long legs and bodies. There 

 is here, however, much too little principle in the manage, 

 ment of this bufinefs. Such ewe lambs as come from ramr 

 lamb ev/es, fhould be fo marked as to diltinguifh them, and 

 be conflantly preferred for breeding ram-lambs from. The 

 ram-lamb ewea are molUy lambed by themfelves, and have 

 fuperior keep. Tliofe whicii do not iuit the intention 



of the grazier are caftrated ; while fuch as are to be faved 

 have a fmall part of the tip end of the fcrolum cut off, 

 and two marks fixed upon them, one on the flioulder and 

 the other on the hip ; being condantly indulged with the 

 bed fattening keep, as it is the common opinion that they 

 cannot be too large. They are fent to particular fituations 

 on the neighbouring hills during the winter feafon, where 

 they are tended with the utmoft care and circumlptCtion, 

 having hay and turnips occafionally given them. On being 

 brought back to the mardies in the fpring, they have the 

 run of the bed paftures, being docked fo lightly upon them, 

 as to be in every way difadvantageous to the grazing farmer. 

 Another feledlion fometimes takes place from them during 

 the fummer, in which, thofe which do not fait are cither 

 fent to m.irket, or netted, while thofe which are approved 

 are employed in the enfuing riding time. Thefe young rams 

 fliould only have a few ewes, as thirty or forty ; as more 

 greatly injures their growth, &c. They are uiually fold or 

 hired out, by which much money is often made. 



It is the practice here to keep too many rams together in 

 the fame pallure, as much lofs is fometimes fuftained by it. 

 The ufual time of putting the rams to the ewes here is about 

 the middle of November, though fome prefer a month, and 

 others a week or a fortnight fooner, as their notions may be 

 in regard to the conveniencies of lambing and other matters. 

 A week or two before the riding time the ewes are prepaied 

 by being put into the larger fields ; only one ram being ad- 

 mitted in each, unlefs it be fo large as to Hand in need of 

 two, when with the old ram a young one is admitted. This 

 management prevents fighting and all inconveniencies of that 

 kind. The rams commonly remain with the ewes a month, 

 care being taken that they perform their bufinefs properly 5 

 fome change the rams occafionally, as after the fird fort- 

 night, and at other times according to circumdances. Sixty 

 ewes are ufually allowed to an old ram, and thirty to a teg 

 ram in this marlh fyltem. See Stocking Land. 



It may be obferved that there is fome difference in the 

 method of managing heath, down, and mountain flocks of 

 fheep, from thofe which are purfued on the inclofed padure 

 lands, though in the felefting and providing the rams and 

 breeding dock, the fame practices are followed by the bed 

 fheep-maders. The principal difference confifts in the man- 

 ner of keeping them, by putting them as early as poilible in the 

 fpring months, as in the beginning of April, upon the downs, 

 heaths, and commons, and keeping them upon them until 

 the approach of the autumn, as the beginning of Oftober ; 

 the fine foft fweet herbage in thefe cafes preferving them in 

 a date of tolerably good condition. And where it begins 

 to grow fcanty and decline in goodncfs, other forts of feed 

 which have been previoufly provided are had recourfe to, 

 fuch as turnips, cole, &c. on which they are folded during 

 the autumn and winter till confumed, when hay which has 

 been dacked for the purpofe in fuch fituations, is employed 

 until the grafs has again advanced to a proper bite. In 

 thefe cafes the fydem of folding is generally recurred to 

 during the whole year, in the fummer and autumn chiefly 

 on the ground in a date of preparation for the wheat crops, 

 but m the winter feafon often on the flubbles, though more 

 extenfively upon the downs and paitures ; while in the fpring 

 feafon the lands under preparation for the barley crops re. 

 ceive them. Tiiis lyllem is confidered as very beneficial by 

 the farmers in thofe didrifts where it is in ufe. And in tiie 

 more hilly and elevated fituations in the northern parts of the 

 kingdom, other methods of management with this fort of 

 flock are employed. In Argylefhire the principal circum. 

 dances attended to by the molt intelligent (heep-farmers are 

 thefe ; to dock lightly, which will mend the fize of the fheep, 



with 



