Bovina historian Ray LaFever digs up a book of earmarks -- the kind you put on sheep, not bills. With so many farmers in Bovina, no wonder they had a hard time keeping the sheep straight:
These earmarks were registered with the town clerk. In the records of the Town of Bovina there is a book of these earmarks dating from the town's creation in 1820 to 1836. There were more farmers in Bovina than this list demonstrates. In 1821, there were probably 150 farmers, while this list, covering a 16 year period, shows 68 farmers (and some are on here more than once). So why only some Bovina farmers show up here is anyone's guess. It could be these were the larger farms or maybe the farmers not on this list always kept their animals securely penned, negating the need to distinguish their sheep from others.
There's a sort of poetry in the entries themselves, some of which are accompanied by a very endearing little drawing of a sheep's head showing which ear the marks are on.
Storey, Widow Mary - A crop on the Right ear and 2 halfpennys on the underside of the left ear
Photo of earmarking pliers from Wikimedia Commons.
