THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



397 



necessity, and the same reason for remaining so has 

 existed ever since; for it is absurd to suppose that I 

 should, knowingly, use an animal inferior to my own. 

 I grant that in this view of the case, my ultimate suc- 

 cess or failure liingcd upon whether I had or liad not 

 formed a correct opinion as to what was the true form 

 of a sheep. That I was correct is, I think, amply 

 demonstrated by the undisputed i'act that my sheep 

 have not degenerated in any one desirable quality ; for 

 it is evident that any flock or herd bred for the number 

 of years I can point, to without addition of fresh blood, 

 must have almost died out iVom sheer diminution 

 of numbers, under the ' careful selection nnd rigorous 

 weeding necessary in all flocks, and, in the few i-emain- 

 ing, purity of descent would only increase the evil, 

 from their great liability to transmit defect to their 

 offspring; and, on the otlier hand, purity of descent, 

 when combined -with true form, becomes of immense, 

 I had almost said of inestimable value, and which in- 

 creases with every year the breed is maintained." 

 Mr. Barford has the pedigi'ce of his sheep from the 

 days of Bakewell ; but then even Bakewell's 

 Leicester, "there is very little doubt, was the result of 

 the cross." However, the owner of the Foscote flock 

 is still staunch in upholding such purity as he found it: 

 " I go a step further, and without ignorins; ' the labours 

 of improvers' subsequent to Bakewell,' let me ask if 

 most of them have not sought to improve the breed by 

 introducing alien blood. Judging from the diversity 

 of type and character that nearly every flock of Lei- 

 cesters exhibits when compared with others, and with 

 those of ten or twenty years since, as well as from com- 

 mon report, I firmly believe this. In fact, I cannot 

 account for this diversity in any other way ; and taking 

 into consideration the frequent exchange of rams be- 

 tween all the principal breeders, it is almost impos- 

 sible that one can exist without some stain in blood, 

 however remote. How, then, cm I, who have kept 

 mine pure, use a ram of any other breeder's without 

 cross-breeding?" There is a deal of truth in this; all still 



tending to the same end — that we have nothing but 

 crosses. In one respect Mr. Barford supplies a very 

 palpable deficiency iu the Farmers' Club Discussion. 

 Tlie speakers, almost as a rule, were shy of saying 

 much of their own practice. Mr. Howard, with com- 

 mendable modesty, was careful not to cry up his own 

 commodities ; although it would have been interesting 

 to have heard more definitely how certain sorts did in 

 certain districts, how they were arrived at, and how 

 maintained. Is there a little "secret" here, again? 

 Mr. Barford, at any r^te, makes none of his practice ; 

 and we must in justice allow him the benefit of the 

 deduction. " I shall, perhaps, be considered too par- 

 tial a witness if I assert that my sheep are not small. 

 An animal of true symmetrical proportion always ap- 

 pears smaller than he really is, and I invite everyone, 

 before giving a decided opinion, to measure the girth, 

 length, &c., of mine, and compare them with others. 

 And I am certain I could by now have shown them 

 many sizes larger, had I indulged and forced them as 

 many breeders have, but I am sure I should have lost 

 more in hardihood and constitution than I should 

 have gained in size." 



The recognition of the Shropshires by the Royal 

 Agricultural Society, the paper in the Journal, and the 

 discussion at the Club, will all tend to give further 

 colour to the cross-breeds. We are, in a word, more 

 and more suiting ourselves to circumstances. But a 

 little caution may be necessary. Let us not be in too 

 great a hurry to "establish" new breeds; and when we 

 have given them a ranlc and a name, let us firmly 

 abide by it. Tlie Shropshires are already known in 

 some parts of England and all over Ireland as 

 " Shrops," an abbreviation in no ways necessary, and 

 that may eventually lead to some confusion. As to 

 Mr. Howard's own sort, " the Oxford Downs," this is 

 clearly a misnomer. There is not enough of the Down 

 character about them; and with a title ready made for 

 their use they should have been known as " the Oxford 

 Mixture." 



LONDON, OR CENTRAL FARMERS' CLUB. 

 THE BREEDING OF SHEEP. 



The ordinary monthly meeting for discussion took 

 place on Monday evening, April 2, the subject being "The 

 Merits of Pure-bred and Cross-bred Sheep," to be in- 

 troduced by Mr. C. Howard, of BiddenHam, Bedford- 

 shire. The chair was taken by Mr. L. A. Coussmaker, 

 of Westwood, Guildford; and among other members 

 present were .Mr. John Thomas (Bletsoe), Mr. J. 

 Marshall (Lincoln), Mr. B. P. Shearer, Mr. H. 

 Trethewy, Sir H. Muggeridge, Mr. W. Fisher Hobbs, 

 Mr. G. Dobito, Mr. Charles Howard, Mr. S. Skelton, 

 Mr. James Thomas, Mr. J. B. Spearing, Mr. W. Gray, 

 Mr. James Howard, Mr. N. G. Barthropp, Mr, R. 

 Bond, Mr. H. Cheffins, Mr. J. Parkinson, jun., IMr. J. 

 Coleman, Mr. J. Bradshaw, Mr. H, Shotter, Mr. W. 

 Coiher, Mr. J. Cressin^ham, Mr. R. Edmonds, Mr. R. 

 G. Welford, Mr. Marsh, Mr. Harrison, Mr. Heard, 

 Mr. J. G. King, Captain Lay, Mr. N. Rix, Mr. R. 

 Palgrave, Mr. J. Goodwin, Mr. J. Wood (Croydon), Mr. 

 J. Whaley, Mr. J. Sanderson, &c., &c. 



After a few introductory remarks from the Chair- 

 man, 



Mr. Charles Howard said : The subject for dis- 

 cussion this evening was not proposed by myself, nor is 

 it one I should have chosen, but receiving an unanimous 



request from the committee, with some diffidence I con- 

 sented to introduce it. As this is my first appearance 

 here in so prominent a position, I must ask your kind 

 indulgence, for I cannot but remember that I am fol- 

 lowing closely upon the heels of our talented friend, 

 who gave us this day month a most able and interesting 

 paper upon a very important subject. It is not my in- 

 tention to extol one particular breed at the expense of 

 another, for doubtless each has its advantages according 

 to soil and climate, but I shall endeavour to confine 

 myself as much as possible to the subject of my paper, 

 viz., "The Merits of Pure-bred and Cross-bred 

 Sheep." From a very early period in the history of the 

 world the sheep has been necessary to the existence of 

 man, and has consequently received corresponding 

 attention at his hands. We read Abel was a keeper of 

 sheep, and that it formed a very considerable portion of 

 the wealth of the patriarchs ; that it was well cared for 

 is copciusive from the history of Jacob, who seemed to 

 be tolerably well -up in his experience as a shepherd. 

 The sheep now, as then, I may truly say engages the 

 chief attention of the farmer, and no doubt will con- 

 tinue so to do, for notwithstanding the glowing picture 

 of farming sometimes drawn by Mi*. Alderman Mechi 



