190 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
June. 
mysterious as the hieroghyphies of Egypt, "but common 
sense will laugh it all to scorn. 
2d. My plan, pursued for many years, has been, as 
soon as the grass failed, to put my sheep into small-en¬ 
closures or yards—say containing about one acre—from 
which they should not be permitted to depart (except a 
very few times) until the grass is sufficiently advanced 
for their support, say from April 10th to May 1st. I 
have even kept up my wethers with advantage until ten 
days before clipping, when pasture was scarce. The ad¬ 
vantages of this mode, are that the sheep take immedi¬ 
ately to their dry feed when put up—their relish for dry 
feed is not destroyed by the insufficient taste of grass they 
can pick up during the winter-—they eat their feed rea¬ 
dily aud lie down. Another benefit of this plan, even 
greater, is in the spring. The springing grass tempts 
them from their hay—they will not eat it, when per¬ 
mitted to wander over the fields; while the grass itself 
is not sufficient in quantity to sustain them, and even 
what they do get does them a serious injury in its ten¬ 
der state, by producing* scours, which in the spring is 
nearly the synoniym of death. Some may fancy this 
course is unnatural. I say experience is higher au¬ 
thority than fancy. I make another point of economy. 
Pasture, if you please, your clover and timothy fields 
during the month of April, and you may expect but 
little from them during the whole summer ; and besides 
they become permanently injured—whereas if you per¬ 
mit them to attain their full strength until the 5th or 
11th of May, you can scarce get the better of them. One 
month’s pasturing in the spring, after the grass has 
started, is worse than three months later in the season. 
Many farmer's object to the keeping of sheep, that they 
cannot get them through the spring until grass comes. 
To such I would say, select and fence an acre of ground— 
including a spring or watering place—sheltered by 
woods or a hill from the prevailing cold winds—soil not 
liable to become muddy, and sufficiently inclined to carry 
off the water—completing the whole with a shed or 
shelter as cheap and rough as you please—but in any 
event a shelter to protect your sheep and hay while be¬ 
ing fed. In reference to ewes with lamb, this plan 
must be somewhat modified. 
3d. As to washing sheep, there Is unnecessary ex¬ 
pense and trouble. Many years since my Scotch shep¬ 
herd thought to experiment on our fine wooled sheep 
with his national custom. Imprimis, the eke or grease 
of wool is absolutely a soap, composed of an alkali and 
oil, and is perfectly soluble in water. A pen is built on 
the edge of a creek, from which a platform three or 
feet above the water, extends one foot over the edge of 
the water. A pool five feet deep, with a gentle current, 
should be selected, three or four sheep being thrown 
over and made to swim to the opposite hank. The 
others will follow of their own accord, (and a very hand¬ 
some sight it is) mostly one at a time. After being 
permitted to stand 15 or 20 minutes, they are again 
forced in from a like platform at another suitable place 
on the opposite side, and have from six to seven plunges 
according to circumstances. The great secret is, give 
the grease time to dissolve, and while waiting, remove 
the foul tagloeks with a pair of shears. It is of im¬ 
portance to have a nice gravelly or sandy beach, up 
which the water-laden sheep may ascend with ease. 
Two men and a dog, have, in this way, often washed six 
and seven hundred in a day. Sheep are less exhausted 
than by the old method, and the wool is perfectly clean, 
if properly done. 
4th. Each, class of sheep should, if possible, he kept 
separate, and all not doing well, should be put among 
the hospital flock, and receive particular care. 
5th. All sheep in any way defective, or unprofitable 
as to wool, should he selected and marked at shearing 
time. 
6th. There is no necessity for changing sheep. Se¬ 
lect good and healthy bucks, and avoid breeding in and 
in, and you may keep the same stock for a century. 
7th. I believe our American Saxon and Merino sheep, 
are the most healthy and the most exempt from disease 
of any domesticated breed In the world—greatly more 
so than our coarse wooled native, and are more hardy. 
This may seem a hard saying, but remember that while 
only a few natives are usually found on a farm, the fine 
wooled are kept in large flocks, consequently have 
greatly restricted privileges. G. E. II. Brownsville , 
Points of Excellence in Cattle, 
Adopted by the New- York State Agricultural Society, for the 
Guidance of the Judges at their Annual Fairs. 
The numbers affixed to the points described form the 
maximum that is to be allowed for each; and in pro¬ 
portion as the animal under examination is deficient in 
any point, so will the Judges decrease the .number, 
even should nothing he allowed for that point. 
Points which are characteristic, and therefore com¬ 
mon to a breed, though very valuable in themselves, 
are marked comparatively low, because they are easily 
obtained and demand but little skill or attention on the 
part of the breeder; nevertheless, an animal not pos¬ 
sessing the characteristics of its own breed, must of ne¬ 
cessity be almost worthless. On the other hand, it will 
be observed that points of less value, perhaps, in them¬ 
selves, but which are characteristics of deficiencies in the 
breed,or at any rate difficult to sustain at their maximum 
excellence, are marked numerically high, as they go far 
to complete or perfect the natural excellence of the an¬ 
imal. 
Again, for the above reasons, it will be found that the 
same points, in different breeds, have different numeri¬ 
cal values attached to them. 
Points of a Short-horn Cow — 1853. 
Pedigree —showing unbroken descent, on both 
sides, from known animals, derived from Eng¬ 
lish herds, as found in the English or American 
Herd Books, and without this, an animal cannot 
compete In this class. 
The He AD'—small, lean and bony,'tapering to the 
muzzle,.. ... 3 
The Face somewhat long, the fleshy portion of the 
nose of a light delicate color, .. 2 
Tae Eye is of great significance, and should be 
prominent, bright and clear— c ‘ prominent,” from 
an accumulation of “adeps ” in the hack part of 
Its socket, which indicates a tendency to lay on 
fat — u bright,” as an evidence of a good disposi¬ 
tion'—“clear,” as a guarantee of the animal’s 
health; whereas a dull, sluggish eye belongs to 
a slow feeder, and a wild, restless eye betrays an 
unquiet, fitful temper, .... 2 
The Horns— light in substance and waxy in color, 
and symmetrically set on the head; the Ear 
large, thin, and with considerable action. 1 
The Neck —rather short than long, tapering to the 
head; clean in the throat, and full at its base, 
thus covering and filling out the points of the 
shoulders,... 2 
The Chest— broad from point to point of the shoul¬ 
ders ; deep from the anterior dorsal vertebra to 
the floor of the sternum, and both round and full 
just hack of the elbows; sometimes designated 
by the phrase, “ thick through the heart.” These 
are unquestionably the most important points in 
every animal, as constitution must depend on 
their perfect development, and the ample room 
thus afforded for free action of the heart and lungs, 14 
The Brisket, however deep or projecting, must 
not he confounded with capacity of chest; for 
though a very attractive and selling point, it, in 
reality, adds nothing to the space within, how¬ 
ever it may increase the girth without. It is in 
fact nothing more nor less than muscular adipose 
substance, attached to the anterior portion of the 
sternum, or breast-bone, and thence extending 
itself hack. This form, however, of the brisket 
indicates a disposition to lay on fat generally 
throughout the frame, and in this point of view 
is valuable,... 5 
The Shoulder, where weight, as in the short¬ 
horn, is the object, should be somewhat upright 
and of good width at the points, with blade-bone 
