THE FARiMER'S MAGAZINE. 



401 



of purity of blood. I have always regarded the Salop sheep 

 to have had its origin from a breed of sheep known as the 

 " Clun Forest,' but since its enclosure they have entirely 

 disappeared; they were short-legged, square-framed, 

 symmetrical sheep, with dark-brown face and legs, and 

 occasionally small horns curling close into the head. 

 2ndly. The Ryeland sheep, which in early days was oc- 

 cupier of the common land in the neighbourhood of 

 Bridgnorth and the southern districts of Shropshire ; 

 this was a larger animal, but not so compact as the 

 ' Clun.' From these two parent stocks I have always 

 understood the Shrdpshire sheep owed its origin by 

 crossing chiefly with the Siissex or Hampshire Down, 

 and then by any other animal that the breeder thought 

 best suited either to increase size or remedy any other 

 defect." The particular merit of Shropshires consists 

 in their supeiiority over any other breed in their own 

 county ; they possess hardiness of constitution, excel- 

 lent quality of mutton, and are prolific breeders. My 

 friend also observes — The yearling wethers will cut from 

 5Hbs. to 71bs. of wool, and if they have been well kept, 

 will weigh from 161bs. to 181bs. per quarter ; but they 

 are not calculated to come out as yearlings, and are more 

 frequently run on until the following Christmas or se- 

 cond year's clip, when they can be made 251bs. to 301bs. 

 per quarter. Lately a very great change has come over 

 the breeders of Shropshire ; they have availed them- 

 selves of larger sheep of heavier fleece and earlier matu- 

 rity, so that the only affinity they bear to the original 

 Shrop are dark faces and legs ; they now pride themselves 

 in exhibiting some well fatted shearlings weighing upon 

 times 221bs. to 241bs. per quarter, but this is not general.* 

 The " Oxfordshire Downs" are what are commonly 

 styled cross-bred sheep ; but their patrons, in 1857, 

 determined upon giving them a definite name. Hence 

 their new title, the propriety of which is demurred to by 

 some; for its only similarity to a Down is its colour, 

 (2, while its size and fleece partake more of the long- wool — 

 important qualities, which have been long and careiuUy 

 cultivated by the promoters of this breed. They were 

 originally produced by crossing the Hampshire and in 

 some instances South-down ewe with a Cotswold ram — 

 most commonly the former, for it gave increased size — 

 and the putting the crosses together ; by constant atten- 

 tion and weeding, a most successful result has been ac- 

 complished, producing a kind of sheep that possess, with 

 uniformity of character and hardiness of constitution, 

 large frames, good fleeces, aptitude to fatten, and mutton 

 of superior quality. It is about 27 years since they 

 were first established in Oxfordshire ; and Mr. Druce, 



• The " Clun" cross Shropehirea 8re to be found m the 

 western and south-western division of the county, or " Corve 

 Dale" district ; although not so large as the Ryeland cross, 

 they are of better quality and symmetry, and I am informed 

 are decidedly the best specimens of their class. The "Ryeland" 

 cross Shrops are peculiar to the south-eastern division of the 

 county ; they are larger, higher staudirg animals, with more 

 open fleece, but not the aptitude to fatten, nor of so hardy a 

 constitution as those met with in the eastern division. There 

 is another family of these sheep lately advertised as the 

 " Midland Downs," common to Staffordshire, produced by 

 crossing ihe " Whittiogtoa Heath" sheep with the Shropshire ; 

 but since special prizes have been offered by Local Committees 

 of the Royal Agricultural Shows for " Shropshire Downs," 

 the breeders have dropped their previous title, and have made 

 commoa cause with their neighbours ; and to this class of 

 sheep, which was somewhat larger, the prize was awarded at 

 Warwick, Mr. John Coxon being the winner : the sheep was 

 sold, to goto Ireland, for £100. The Shropshires have of late 

 ____de8ervedly found considerable favour : it was at the Gloucester 

 ■vr- Meeting, in 1853, where they first commanded notice, some 

 most beautiful animals being exhibited. At Warwick, last 

 year, they showed in considerable numbers, and formed one of 

 the greatest attractions of the show-yard. 



in a letter to the Journal of the Royal Agricultural 

 Society, in 1853, thus speaks of them : " It is now 20 

 years since 1 began crossing between the Southdown 

 and Cotswold sheep, and, with the ordinary skill of 

 sheep-farming, I find no difficulty to keep the form and 

 size of the animal as it should be, the wool of a valuable 

 quality, and not deficient in quantity ; and I maintain 

 that the good qualities can be better secured by em- 

 ploying the cross-bred animals on both sides, than by 

 using the first cross." Mr. Druce lias confirmed his 

 statement by producing many extraordinary sheep at the 

 Smithfield Club, where he has often been successful; 

 also lust year at Warwick, by taking the first 

 prize in the old ram class, beating both West 

 Country and Shropshire Downs. His son, Mr. Jo- 

 seph Druce, after a lengthened experience, now writes 

 of them : " This particular locality is situated on 

 the edge of the Cotswolds, and embraces a large area 

 of heavy mixed soils, abounding in springs near the sur- 

 face, requiting much draining, and upon which it was 

 found that the Cotswolds and Southdowns did not thrive 

 at particular periods of the winter season, which sug- 

 gested the admixture of two breeds. The flocks gene- 

 rally drop their lambs in the month of February, and at 

 13 or 14 months old they are ready for market, weigh- 

 ing upon an average ID stones each, with a fleece vary- 

 ing from 7 to lOlbs. The ewes are good mothers, and 

 produce a great proportion of twins." He also adds, 

 " It is seldom this breed is attacked with giddiness or 

 water upon the brain, so prevalent with some kinds." 

 Anoiher breeder, Mr. Hitchman, who has been one of 

 the most successful exhibitors at Baker-street in the 

 cross-bred class, having taken five 1st prizes in succes- 

 sion, besides nine medals and several 2nd prizes, states 

 that it is 25 years since he began breeding this descrip- \ 

 tion of sheep, by crossing Hampshire Down ewes with ' 

 a Cot-jwold ram, and considers them, for bis neighbour- 

 hood, the most rent-paying sort; and believes there is 

 no breed of sheep that will produce better quality of 

 mutton, and more of it, than the Oxfordshire Downs. 

 His tegs when shorn will average II stone, and his en. 

 tire clip of wool about 71bs. per fleece. I will only add 

 one other testimony, that of a large breeder, Mr. Joseph 

 Roberts, who says, " I have kept cross-breds, now 

 Oxfordshire Downs, for 27 years, 19 at Waterperry, on 

 very wetland, where long-woolled sheep could not be 

 kept at a profit ; we could make a fair return from 

 cross-breds. I have been here (Caswell) eight years 

 wiih the same sori, on land some persons consider calcu- 

 lated for Cotswolds, but I think otherwise. My wool 

 weighed last year under 4 fleeces to the tod ; I consider 

 four to be a satisfactory average. I generally sell my 

 tegs in April, averaging from 10 to 14 stones, a few even 

 heavier; and my ewes this season weighed from 12 to 

 17 stones. I have no doubt Cotswold sheep can in their 

 locality be brought to greater weight per sheep of both 

 mutton and wool than any other breed, save Lincolns; 

 but I question whether they can be made to produce more 

 money-value as a whole flock than Oxfordshire Downs, 

 allowing for the prolificacy of the latter, and I am of 

 opinion that the produce from the same number of ewes 

 will exceed in weight of flesh any other breed." The first 

 Oxfordshire down ram exhibited at our royal shows 

 was at Windsor in 1851, by the late Mr. John Gillett, 

 of Brize Norton, who was a very successful breeder of 

 them ; but as no separate class is assigned them, they 

 have but seldom competed until last year at Warwick, 

 when there were 37 entries, thus bidding fair for a 

 very strong competition when the Council of the Royal 

 Agricultural Society determine to place them upon the 

 same footing as their rivals the Shropshires. Until this 

 is the case they will have to compete with an old esta- 

 blished breed, the Hampsbires, a state of things alike 



