THE WISCONSIN FARMER.



tle s tails may be had by ducking about half doubt that sheep are sometimes
injured there-
an inch therefrom  each spring, which very by. In nny event there shoul I
be estab'ished
muchI itoproves the appearance of that appenl- an equitabc rule as to price.
age, with but little loss cf blood.                I When should we*Shear
our Sheep!
  The steer refereed tu speedily reovered
and ever after showed  no symptollms of ildis- I  Not until warm weather
has fairly come, and
positiott.  In lkc r:ant cr have Ittany since yet not after the fleece has
coIne to be uncom-
been treated, an I al: I% ith the same halppy re- fortable and tle new wool
has tni Ic cjttsidera-
Filts.                                        lie growth.
  Plackleg, IIlike tie h rnla, at nttacks thCe 'vell  If too early. your
sheep wvill suller Oit cold
fe l (quite as (,f en av the half -tarved. Natulre nighus and possibly contract
ca! iri.-h.  If too
somlnitilies showv  a generosity to cattle whlichl late, counsiderable portions
'vill 'c rulbbed off
- l.t :      l',e- !il f,,tit their tails, by sending on biush and fence
railk in the eOfort of the
ourt   ur golvill h.  h1g l ai r (thouglh nlot long shIecep to relievetheniselve
ot :li  chliigiwvhich
cttiparcd v iti the first growthj whicl improves they wvill he alttost certain
t,, - 1k'-.
tie defltlt A. anl 1, a% e" tlie betst in foir con-  It yoon ask for
a reliable rule, no tell you
litioll frr ib-y u~hillg.                     ejuarely, there is no sure
r ule w'ih' does not
  laktille-s aboat ti.e stomllach and bowyels is iscluthe it/  aS tie cuti
'iuent.-and
the ipev;J1i,ir ih-ease ainong the horned caile tlhe scasott, you  know,
is very uncertain.
;,, A    .' tl1i,      nt this tit1C  'aiil, Somettes it .ighit answer to
shear as early



seetlis to be aggravated, if not produced, by a
want of stuflitig for the internal region.  One
tat kel svmnptom of this disease about a place



is tile transposititon ot title straw ileS anut CtL-
tie-tie cattle b~eing ippertiost.  Another is a
scarcity of sheds and havstacks.  Not havittg
lost any stock by this disease, I will not at-
tempt to prescribe a retuedy. S L. MILLEP.
FI LT&/, Al! it 13, 1863.

               Sheep-Washing.

  Thie (uestion, Shall sheep be washed previ-
ous to shearing" or shall they not ? is attract-
ing more and more attention fronu year to year.
  Recently, at Wool Conventions held at Ro-
chester and at Cleveland, the question was ex-
tensively discussed-at Rochester without a
positive decision pro or con-at Cleveland with
a unanimous verdict for the negative. and a re-
solution expressive of a strong sentiment to
the effect that manufacturers should make a
marked and uniform difference in their pur-
chases in favor of clean wool.
  If judiciously managed and if performed at
the right time, i. e. in mild weather, late in
May or early in June, it is our opinion that
sheep need not be injured in the process of
washing. But, on the other hand, there is no



as tlic middle of May : at other timce tile mid-
dle of June would hardly be too late. Perhaps,
as a genteral and variable rule. ce tuight say,
l,.70 hu. c   yanted tour rolu-t -i otler hoed



crops, and hao c n&' h6c071ent 'l/roF  ..: Cc  ir cul-
tiv'tltionl.

             Breeding too Early.

  No fault is tuore common among our Western
farmers, so far as the raising of stock is con-
cerned, thati that of allowing animals of all
kinds to begin breeding at too early an age.
We have often urged the importance of a more
rational practice, but cannot permit this sea-
son to go by without again warning our farmer
readers against so unwise a custom.
  The following from the American Veterinary
Journal, contains ideas which are worthy of
notice:
  I Victor Gilbert never allowed ewes to have
lambs until they passed their third year, and
the bucks were not nsed until they had arrived
at full maturity. During the period of growth
and development up to maturity, the reproduc-
tive organs are dormant, while at the same
time the nutritive function is wholly engaged
ia elaborating chyle and blood for the develop-
ment of bone, muscle and nerve, and that calling
into use the reproductive or generative organs
before the animal has attained full growth,
must necessarily divert the elements of matter



216