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beft of the old ewe-ftock, which would otherwife be fent 

 away. This is not generally praftifed, but it is evident 

 that a well-formed or perfeft old ewe mult be better for 

 breeding- from, than fuch young ones as are ill-formed or 

 imperfeft in their Ihape. 



There are different periods for the forting or felefting 

 of (heep-ltock ; as the time when the ewes are arranged 

 and put into different clafles for the rams, the feafon of 

 lambing, &c. : in each of whicli, the defefts and imperfec- 

 tions of them may be difcovered without much difficulty. 

 But the mod proper time of all, according to fome, is in 

 the early fpring, as about the beginning of March, as then 

 the foft, the long, the coarfe wool, and all other imper- 

 \(£lions in the ewes, are the mod confpicuous, and readily 

 letecled, and thofe of the beft forms, qualities, and dii- 

 politions, may be the mort fitly drawn off and preferved ; 

 as fuch fheep a? are capable of fupporting theinfelves, and 

 of looking well under the difficulties of a fevere winter 

 feafon, mull in general be the molt deferving of the breed- 

 ing (heep-farmer's attention ; while fuch as have wintered 

 badly will not unfrequently (hew a good difpofition in the 

 iimmer feafon. In thefe cafes, where imperfedlions are 

 jifcovercd, the (heep fhould either be drawn off, put out, 

 and lambed by themfelves, or a private mark fet upon them ; 

 ,ind the ewes and lambs fold or made fat. Thus, the num- 

 ber of bad ill-formed fheep, that ought not to be kept, 

 •jre conveniently reduced and completely got rid of, which, 

 if they or their lambs were fuffered to blend and intermix 

 with the well-formed (heep, the flock would be in danger 

 of being contaminated. It is the common praftice in mod 

 cafes, to only feleft or fort the fheep once in the year ; 

 but with good managers they are had under hand two or 

 three times in the fame fpace of time ; and whenever a 

 iTieep is feen with any fort of defeft, it is immediately 

 marked, and fent to be made fat. 



Many make this forting, or infpeftion, fo late as the 

 beginning of the autumn, but an earlier performance of the 

 bufinefs is evidently preferable, in order that the defeftive 

 ftock may be put to fatten in proper time. 



The manner of performing the bufinefs is commonly 

 by pounding the (heep in a (mail number at a time, fo that 

 the fheep-farmer may be able to examine them at once, 

 without the danger of being diltraiSed or confufed by 

 having too many expofcd to liis view, and confequently 

 be incapable of diflinguifliing the properties of their forms, 

 and other qualities whic!) ought to be particularly attended 

 to in forming his decifion. In the execution of this work, 

 the farmer, his (heplierd, or looker, are provided with 

 ochre, or fome other material, for giving the defcftive fheep 

 the ufual private mark, in order that they may be known 

 from the perfect part of the flock, and be difpofed of accord- 

 ingly. This marking, hr liverlng, as it is called in fome 

 places, is performed differently, according to circumftances, 

 as the purpofes the (heep are to be put to, and the number 

 of lambs the ewes have had. It is well done fometimes 

 alfo to have the Jheep marked with pitch, according to 

 their ages. Sec TiVEniNC. 



The defefts which arc chiefly to be taken notice of in 

 the forting of (heep in this intention, are thofe of bad 

 fhapc, as the head being thick or too long, the body too 

 iong and narrow, without fuflicient roundncls, the feet 

 and bones too large, the chefl too much confined, the want 

 of ftraightnefs in the back, too great a length in the legs 

 and neck, the fheep being too large for the palture or keep, 

 their not handling in a proper manner, the wool bad, as 

 too coarfe or too long and picky, or coming off, waxy, 

 or hempy, the flicep being loufy, Itruck with the fly, gaily, 



I 



thick pelted, and fcurvy, their being hog-chopped, that is> 

 having the lower jaw fhortcr than the upper one, by which 

 their feeding properly is prevented, the mouths large, caufing 

 the lofs of the cud in rechewing their food, &c. By forting 

 and feledling fheep as free as pofTible from defefts of theft 

 kinds, the belt fheep-llock may be procured, provided the 

 true form be properly undcrllood and conflantly kept in 

 mind, without fuffering it to be injured in any way by the 

 admiflion of improper qualities at any time, or under any 

 circumftances. 



The forting or feleftion of fheep in this intention, may 

 perhaps be a little different in different cafes ; but wherever 

 a good ftock is aimed at, the breeding fheep-farmer fhould of 

 courfe feleft that breed, whatever it may be, which is moft 

 fuited to his circumftances and purpofes, and which the 

 moft nearly approaches towards the ftate of perfeftion in 

 its form and other properties, or which pofl'efles that par- 

 ticular kind of improvement which he is in want of, being 

 conflantly well aware what conftitutes fuch ftates in the 

 animal. The parts of his ftock which are deficient, or do 

 not fully come up to or poflefs fuch properties, are always 

 to be lorted out and rejcfted, being fold or turned off for 

 the purpofe of fattening, both in the ewes and the lambs, 

 as they might be in danger of accidentally injuring the 

 ftock. Good breeding fheep-farmcrs are alfo at all times 

 clofely on the watch to have n<?ne but thofe of fuperior 

 qualities, and to take advantage of any accidental improved 

 variety which may anfwer their intentions. The full proper 

 culling or felefting and forting of the younger part of the 

 ewe-ftock, is in all cafes a material point in having good 

 (heep-ftock, and one which is never to be neglefted. The 

 careful breeder fhould indeed continually have his eyes upon 

 his flock, to fee that there arc no faulty animals continued 

 in it, efpecially in any material degree, as much may be 

 effefted in this way, and the trouble of forting be confider- 

 ably leffened. See Breeding, Live-stock, and Sheep. 



The praftice of forting ftieep is not, however, ufeful 

 only for the purpofe of breeding, but may be beneficially 

 employed in other intentions. The forting of fheep, ac- 

 cording to their ages, fizes, kinds, and other qualities, is 

 often highly important and advantageous in the ftocking of 

 pafture lands, as it enables the fheep-farmer to do it with 

 greater propriety and correftnefs, as well as with a greater 

 profit in the improvement of the ftock. See Stocking 

 Pajlure Land. 



Sheep are likewife forted with very much benefit for the 

 different purpofes of ftore-feeding, lambing, fattening, and 

 other forts of management with them. 



But however beneficial the praftice may be in thefe 

 feveral intentions, as well as in fome others, it is probable 

 that it has hitherto been attempted only in a few inllances, 

 and in many of thofe in much too (light and inattentive 

 a manner; it is, notwithftanding, of the utmoft necefTity 

 and importance in the management of this fort of live-ftock, 

 and when once well iiiiderftood and properly performed, 

 cannot fail of producing very advantageous effefts, and 

 much improvement in the bufil!el^; of fhecp-farming. 



SORTINSKOI, in Geography, a town of RulTia, in the 

 government of Tobolfk ; 72 miles S.S.W. of Bcrezov. 



SORTOWITZ, a town of PrufTia, in the palatinate of 

 Culm ; 10 miles N. of Culm. 



SORVIODUNUM, or Sorbioduntm, in Anatnl Geo- 

 vraphy, a town of the ille of Albion, upon the route from 

 Calleva to Vrioconiuni, in pafling by MuriJunum between 

 Brige and Vindocladi.i, accordiug to the Itinerary of Anto- 

 nine ; Calleva being Silchefter, Muriduiuim, being Eggerton, 

 Vrioconium being Wroxeter, Brige being Broughton, 



Viiido. 



