ECU Libraries Catalog

A compleat system of experienced improvements, made on sheep, grass-lambs, and house-lambs : Or, The country gentleman's, the grasier's, the sheep-dealer's, and the shepherd's sure guide: in the profitable management of those most serviceable creatures, according to the present practice of this author, and the most accurate grasiers, farmers, sheep-dealers, and shepherds of England. Shewing, I. How the best of sheep may be bred. II. How to preserve them from surfeits, scabs, wood-evil, white and red-water, the rot, and all other distempers. III. How to cure sheep when wounded or diseased, particularly when they have the white or red-water, and even the rot, if an early application is made use of as directed; and this by such cheap and ready remedies, that the poorest farmer must be induced to use them, so that there need not be a rotten sheep, or lamb, in the nation. IV. How to preserve sheep from hoving, or sickening, to fat them in the quickest and cheapest manner, and to cause them to have a sweet flesh, while they are fatting on turnips, or rapes, contrary to the nature of those rank plants. V. How to make an hundred ewes take ram in an hour's time, either by artificial, or by natural means, at any time of the year. VI. How to secure lambs from being killed by foxes. VII. How to make the most profit of rotten sheeps carcasses, or those that die by accident. VIII. How to teach dogs six several sorts of discipline, for making them serviceable to shepherds and others. IX. Many impositions exposed relating to sheep and lambs. X. The newest methods of suckling house-lambs, in the greatest perfection. With many other curious and serviceable matters. A work different from all others ever yet published, as it is explained and improved by great numbers of various cases that have really happened; whereby the woollen manufacture, and interest of Great Britain, may be more highly improved, than ever it was yet done, by keeping all sorts of sheep and lambs in the greatest health, though they feed all the while on the worst of moorish, or swampy ground; and causing them to yield, in the wettest seasons, a wool, far exceeding in goodness, that of all nations whatsoever. In three books. By William Ellis, of Little Gadderden, in Hertfordshire.