FINE WOOL SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 139 
ness, and “nearness to the ground” of the carcass, 
but quite as materially to the growth of wool and the 
secretion of yolk. Between a ram allowed to run 
with ewes, unsheltered except In winter, and in all 
respects treated in the ordinary way, and the same 
ram used to ewes singly, sheltered from rain and dew, 
and constantly fed to the verge of safety, the differ- 
ence in the weight of even the washed fleece will not 
fall short of about 20 per centum ; but if the fleece is 
weighed in the yolk, as is the custom among owners 
of show sheep, the difference will often reach 33} per 
centum. . 
What is the object of this pampering? Under any 
circumstances, and especially in connection with early 
shearing and summer shelteving, it fits sheep entirely 
to outshow and excel in the product of wool far better 
unpampered ones; and these considerations influence 
buyers Just In proportion to thelr Inexperience and 
ignorance of “the tricks of the trade.” No sensible 
yaan will seriously pretend that, taking one year with 
another, the actual increase of wool by such means 
will pay for the employment of those means. Every 
experienced flock master knows that it destroys the 
hardiness of the animal. Most of these pampered 
sheep go down at once, or gradually fail in vigor, and 
at length succumb to the slightest casualty, if put 
back on common feed, and subjected to the ordinary 
treatment. And even if the forcing system is con- 
tinued, the constitution eventually becomes so effete 
that it requires extra care and skill to guard against 
accidents. The slightest one produces fatal conse- 
quences. It is next to impossible to combat any 
disorder successfully in a long-pampered sheep, or 
