To those professional brethren who have so courteously furnished him with valuable information, growing out of their own observation and practice, he acknowledges himself especially indebted; and were he certain that they would not take offence, he would be pleased to mention them here by name. Should the work prove of service to our intelligent American farmers and stock-breeders as a body, the author's end will have been attained. CONTENTS. SHEEP AND THEIR DISEASES. PAGE HISTORY AND VARIETIES 15 AMERICAN SHEEP 21 Native Sheep 22 The Spanish Merino 25 The Saxon Merino 36 The New Leicester 41 The South-Down 47 The Cotswold 52 The Cheviot 54 The Lincoln 56 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SHEEP 57 Formation of the Teeth 59 Structure of the Skin 63 Anatomy of the Wool 64 Long Wool 76 Middle Wool 78 Short Wool 80 CROSSING AND BREEDING 81 BREEDING 81 Points of the Merino 93 Breeding Merinos 97 General Principles of Breeding 106 Use of Rams 112 Lambing 117 Management of Lambs 121 Castration and Docking 127