342 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
hurt, liable, as might be expected from the nature of the case, to 
casualty and loss, which timely shelter might prevent. The sheep 
well fed, from its fleecy covering and gregarious habits, whence re¬ 
sults an atmosphere of considerable warmth, remains very little af¬ 
fected by intense cold, if unaccompanied by moisture; he is perhaps 
more unfavorably affected by great heat, but continues safe under 
either extreme, with the advantage of sufficient shelter, obviously 
one of the most important points in the sheep husbandry. The va¬ 
rious diseases incident to sheep have their origin almost exclusively 
in neglect, improper situations and treatment, or errors in feeding. 
Reverse these, and diseases among sheep would be as few and rare 
as they are now numerous and rite throughout our sheep districts; 
another grand point in their husbandry.— Ibid. 
One of the two species of sheep, the long and the short woolled, 
having been chosen, as most appropriate to the situation, and wool 
being made an object, it is most advantageous to select such flocks 
as are pure as possible of the species to which they belong, and not 
a mixture of the short and long wool breeds, which must generally 
produce an inferior fleece, disadvantageous to the manufacturer.— 
Length of staple in the long, and fineness, elasticity and closeness in 
the short wool.ed fleece, will be the best guides in this case. 
Whether the wool be long or short, the carcass of the animal 
ought to be amply and regularly covered ; it is a great defect when 
the belly is bare, and a still greater when the wool is thin and open 
along the ridge ol the back, admitting rain and moisture to a most 
susceptible part; indeed to descend upon all parts of the body. 
It is a piece of good old advice to buy your rams a little before 
shearing time, if possible ; and a very necessary modern addition to 
take the opportunity of purchasing at the farmer’s house, whilst you 
can see the animal in paribus naturalibus, and before he has been 
decked out and trimmed for show by the sheep barber. A thick 
fleece, covering all parts with as much equality as possible, contain¬ 
ing plenty of yolk, or retained or inspissated perspiration, is the ob¬ 
ject. If ewes, equally well bred, can be procured, the shepherd an¬ 
ticipates and reaps an immediate benefit; if not he must patiently 
await improvement of his wool, through the medium of the superior 
blood of his rams. 
At shearing time, examine the bottoms of the fleece, or the lower 
extremity of the filaments of wool ; if it be stichy haired, of mixed 
quality, or if the sheep have a coarse breech, or be not well cover¬ 
ed, it must be rejected, as improper for a breeding stock, where it 
would perpetuate its defects. The quantity of yolk or grease is a 
good proof of the thickness of the fleece, since, by the closeness and 
thickness of the wool, the grease or perspirable matter of the ani¬ 
mal is retained; hence fine, closed, curled wool has ever the great¬ 
est quantity of yolk.—Rath papers. 
Dentition is commenced and is completed early with the lamb, and 
I have, within these few hours examined the mouth of one three 
months old, which has its complement, eight small or lambs’ teeth 
Two of these, in front, fall and are replaced by two broad or sheep’s 
teeth, at some period previous to the sixteenth month, sometimes, 
although rarely, within the first year. A similar renewal of two 
teeth takes place every succeeding year, until towards the end of 
the third, sometimes during the fourth, or in the commencement of 
the fifth year, when the sheep is full mouthed or aged, having ac¬ 
quired the eight broad teeth.— Lawrence. 
Markham advises to “ choose your sheep the biggest boned, with 
the best wool, the staple being soft, greasy and well curled, and close 
together, so that a man shall have much ado to part it with his fin- 
jre'rs. These sheep, besides bearing the best burden, are always the 
best butcher’s ware, and go soonest aivay in the market. The ram large 
of body, in every general part, with a long body and a large belly 
his forehead broad, round and well rising, a cheerful large eye, 
straight short nostrils, and a very small muzzle, by no means any 
horns for the dodder, [hornless sheep] is the best breeder, and his 
issue never dangereth the dam in yeaning as the horned sheep do. 
A large upright neck, somewhat bending like the neck of a horse, a 
very broad back, round buttocks, a thick tail and short jointed legs, 
small, dean and nimble ; his wool should be thick and deep, covering 
his belly all over; also his face and even to his nostrils, and so down¬ 
ward to" his very knees and thighs.” 
Cully’s description of the ram. —“ His head should be fine and 
small, his nostrils wide and expanded, his eyes prominent and rather 
bold and daring, ears thin, his collar full from his breast and shoul¬ 
ders, but tapering gradually all the way to where the head and neck 
join, which should be very fine and graceful, being perfectly free 
from any coarse leather hanging down; the shoulders broad and 
full, -which must, at the same time, join so easy to the collar forward, 
and chine backward as to leave not the least hollow in either place; 
the mutton upon his fore arm or fore thigh must come quite to the 
knee; his legs upright, with a clean fine bone, being equally clear 
from superfluous skin and coarse hairy wool, from the knee and hough 
downwards; the breast broad and well forward, which will keep his 
fore legs at a proper wideness; his girth or chest full and deep, and 
instead of a hollow behind the shoulders, that part by some called 
the fore flank, should be quite full; the back and loins broad, flat 
and straight, from which the ribs must rise with a fine circular arch; 
his belly straight, the quarters long and full, with the mutton quite 
down to the hough, which should neither stand in nor cut; his twist 
the junction of the inside of the thighs] deep, wide and full, which, 
with the broad breast, will keep his fore legs open and upright; the 
whole body covered with a thin pelt, and that with fine, bright soft 
wool.” 
Marks of excellence in long or short woolled sheep. Fleece white 
(tinged with a red brown hue, if Merino) palate, with the bridge of 
the nose, horns and hoofs white. No cat’s hairs. The horns wide 
set, otherwise the head liable to the danger of contraction. Yet 
wide-headed horned lambs are dangerous to the ewes in yeaning. 
It is said the horns may with safety be twisted off when the lamb is 
only a month old.— Lawrence. 
South-Downs. —The number of ribs in a sheep is thirteen. Ave¬ 
rage weight of tallow from 12 to 16 lbs. exclusive of kidney fat. 
The finest woolled fat, are fit for market six weeks or two months 
sooner than the coarsest; and in proportion to the fineness of the 
wool they succeed each other. The grain of the flesh is in propor¬ 
tion to the fineness of the wool, and the carcass of a fine woolled 
sheep will considerably out-weigh that of a coarser woolled sheep of 
equal size and dimensions. If well kept, the ewes will produce 
more than one lamb, instances not being wanting of the production 
of five at a birth, but in such cases more than two of them are sel¬ 
dom saved. The coarsest woolled ewes bring lambs with the great¬ 
est quantity of wool upon them at the fall.— Mr. Alfrey, in the An¬ 
nals of Agriculture. 
The signs of health in sheep are, first, a skittish briskness, clear 
azure eye, florid ruddy eye-strings and gums, teeth fast, nose and eyes 
dry, respiration free and regular, feet cool, dung substantial, wool 
fast and unbroken, skin of a fine florid red, particularly on the bris¬ 
ket. Sheep are often seen in market with nose and eyes running, 
or, as we should say of a horse, almost glandered. This happens 
from wet layers, during their travel, in cold, windy seasons; and a 
continuance of such weather, and perhaps after neglect, lay the 
foundation of diseases which, afterwards, the cause is not suspect¬ 
ed. Great caution is necessary during drift, [driving] that the flock 
be not suffered to rest on wet and boggy layers, and that they are 
provided with dry lodging, and sufficient keep to support their 
strength.— Lawrence. 
Folding sheep. —The advantages supposed to be derived from it 
are visionary; being in fact no more than robbing a large part of a 
farm to enrich a small one. Large flocks, even any number, kept to¬ 
gether above one hundred, is a barbarous practice ; for in such flocks 
the strongest will beat the rest from their food ; instead of which, 
the weakest sheep should have the best food ; and if folding is ne¬ 
cessary on farms that have no commons annexed to them, why not 
have small folds on different parts of the farm, and for those of dif¬ 
ferent kinds, ages or strength, and thereby save the trouble of driv¬ 
ing from one part of the farm to another 1 for had not the animal, af¬ 
ter it has filled its belly, better lie down and sleep, than travel to cre¬ 
ate an appetite I From my general observation in various parts of 
the kingdom where folding is, and is not practised, my opinion has 
been confirmed ; nor will I allow any utility to the fold, excepting, 
perhaps, in the case of a flock feeding on large open commons by 
day, and considered in the light of mere dung carriers to the arable 
land.— Bakewell. 
Covered folds. —In Essex, it is common for the farmers to fold 
their sheep in covered folds, and mix their dung with ditch earth, 
mud, &c. which causes the dung to spread and go much farther. 
In Gloucestershire, &c. the farmers house their sheep at night, and 
litter them with straw, and when one quantity is converted into soil, 
they add fresh, so that a whole winter affords a great quantity of 
dung where a large flock is kept, and it is found, by long experience, 
to answer the trouble; so that by folding in summer, and housing in 
