2'JG 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



THE CULTURE OF SHEEP. 

 A LECTURE BY MR. ROBT. SMITH, OF EMMETT'S GRANGE, SOUTH MOLTON, DEVON. 



Ou Monday eveuiug, Feb. 22, a lecture was delivered by Mr. 

 Robert Smith, of Emmett's Grange, South Moltoa, Devon, in 

 the new lecture-theatre of the South Kensington Museum, on 

 " The Culture of Sheep," being the last of a series of six ad- 

 dresses to working-men, and intended to explain the collections 

 of the animal kingdom in the muser.m. The attendance was 

 very large, there being at least 500 persons present. The lec- 

 turer produced a great number of pictorial sketches of the 

 Tarious breeds of sheep, English and foreign, which added ma- 

 terially to the interest of the lecture ; they being frequently 

 referred to in elucidation of the subject. 



After some introductory observations — in which Mr. Smith 

 spoke of the advantages offered to working men iu that institu- 

 tion, and observed incidentally that in going over the museum he 

 had found that the collection of specimens relative to the culture 

 of sheep was incomplete, and that he would do what he could to 

 supply the deficiencies — the lecturer proceeded to bring before 

 the audience the subject of his lecture. The culture of sheep 

 was, he said, a branch of their rural and national economy 

 which had not as yet received that degree of public attention 

 which was due to it. As a rural occupation it was the founda- 

 tion of all good husbandr}', and in a national point of view 

 they looked to it as a means of employment for thousands of 

 their artisans, and as an important source of food and raiment 

 for an increasing poj-ulation. They found from history that | 

 sheep had existed at the earliest periods in every quarter of the | 

 globe, from Iceland to the regions of the torrid zone; but 

 they had been most cultivated in Europe — especially in Ger- 

 many, Spain, and Great Britain; and not only had the culti- 

 vation of sheep in this country recently outstripped that of 

 every other country, but they were daily witnessing a new and 

 important auxiliary in the culture of sheep in the British 

 colonies. As he had already intimated, sheep were found in 

 every quarter of the globe. Thus they were to be met with 

 in every variety of climate, adapting themselves to the vicissi- 

 tudes of heat and cold. In each country they were cultivated 

 according to the wants and tastes of the people, whether for 

 food, clothing, or the uses of commerce ; but when left to 

 themselves, under the operation of Nature's laws, they repre- 

 sented every form of carcase and clothing which corresponded 

 to or fitted thera for the particular climate and country iu 

 which they existed. Sheep when in a wild state preferred to 

 range at large ou open plains, and displayed considerable sa- 

 gacity iu the selection of their food. They herded together in 

 small flocks, and were in general active, swift of foot, and 

 easily frightened by dogs or men. When completely domesti- 

 cated, the sheep appeared as stupid as it was harmless ; but 

 whan left to depend upon itself for food and protection, it ex- 

 hibited a more decided character. Under such circumstances 

 a ram had been seen to attack and beat-off a formidable do". 

 On the approach of storms they retired for shelter to the spot 

 which they knew from experience to be most adapted to afford 

 it. Of all the domesticated animals of Great Britain, the sheep 

 was of the greatest consequence both to the farmer and to the 

 nation— to the farmer, because it was raised with ease and in 

 situations where other animals could not exist, and generally 

 made a better return for the quantity and quality of the food 

 consumiJ than any otlicr ar.ima! ; to the naUou, because it 



supplied a staple article of food and raiment, and at the same 

 time afforded employment to an immense number of artisans. 

 The culture of first-rate sheep was a "science blended with 

 practice ;" and consequently a proper knowledge of Nature's 

 laws, more especially as regarded the effect of climate and 

 situation ou their character, had led to important improve- 

 ments in their form, quality of flesh, and general management. 

 It must not be forgotten that the sheep of the present day 

 were, in fact, the production of roan's skill and enterprise in 

 their propagation from their original wild state. From this it 

 might be inferred that were the breeders to relax their 

 exertions, leaving the animal again to Nature's course, the 

 various flocks would soon degenerate. Let them fancy for a 

 moment such a state of things. Where then would be the 

 advance of commerce or the increasing production of meat for 

 an increasing population ? Happily for the English nation, 

 however, there was no cause to fear that this picture would 

 ever become a reality. In every point of view " the culture 

 of sheep" deserved to be esteemed one of the principal 

 branches of rural economy, and claimed the attention of the 

 artisan, the manufacturer, and the State. Now he must con- 

 fess at the outset that he was not so familiar with foreign 

 breeds of sheep as he was with English breeds ; and therefore 

 on that part of the subject he must call in the assistance of a 

 very able work by Mr. Youatf. He should afterwards speak of 

 what he himself was familiar with. The sheep which was handed 

 down to us from time immemorial was a horned sheep. [The 

 lecturer here referred to. a picture of the original breed.] 

 As he had before intimated, sheep were transformed in the 

 process of propagation, by means of certain rules which were 

 known to the breeders, and that the original breed should 

 have been transformed into the sheep of the present day 

 [pointing to specimens of the latter], showed how great an 

 art was the culture of sheep. He was indebted to Mr. Davi?, 

 the Queen's artist, of Church-street, Chelsea, for the paintings 

 and pictorial specimens before them; and when he told them 

 that gentleman had executed the whole of the sketches 

 ; since 11 o'clock that morning, they must feel he bad lost no 

 1 time. After referring to a representation of the Russian 

 sheep, the Wallachian sheep, and the fat-rumped sheep, as 

 affording illus^ations of the original breed, and also to a picture 

 of a black-faced Scotch sheep for the same purpose, he alluded 

 to the fat-tailed sheep of the Cape, and remarked, in passing, 

 that the tail of this sheep was esteemed so great a luxury in 

 its native country, that it often sold for more than all the rest 

 of the carcass. He then mentioned the Cyprus sheep, known 

 by its spiral horns, and the Moufflon sheep, which inhabited 

 Iceland, and resembled our deer. There were also the Asiatic 

 argalia, the American argali, and more particularly the 

 Merino sheep, of which he would speak at a future period of 

 the lecture. Before he proceeded any further, he said, he 

 ought to repjark that the fine-wooUed sheep were produced in 

 dry warm countries, while strong-coated sheep were produced 

 in wet cold countries ; the coat being, in fact, adapted to the 

 climate. From this it followed, that if the finesf-wooUed 

 animals were introduced into this country, they would die 

 away; while sheep of the opposite description might be cx- 

 j ccted to thrive. After illiiatratirg and c^.p'.aicing the forcigo 



