334 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



MEETING OF THE BREEDERS OF DOWN COTSWOLD SHEEP. 



In purauance of a resolution agreed to, at a preliminary 

 meeting of the breeders of Down Cotswold sheep, held at the 

 Koebnck Hotel, on the August monthly cattle market day, a 

 public meeting of the breeders of that class of sheep was held 

 on Wednesday, Sept. 9, in the Roebuck Hotel, for the purpose 

 of taking into consideration the propriety of agreeing on some 

 more definite name for that breed of sheep. The meeting 

 took place at four o'clock, when amoug the breeders present 

 were G. H. Barnett, Esq., of Glympton Park; John Rowland, 

 Esq., of Islip ; Mr. J. Hitchman, of Little Milton ; Mr. W. 

 Gilktt, of Brize-Norton ; Mr. Middleton, of Cutteslowe; 

 Mr. J. Greaves, of Elsfield ; Mr. T. E. Miller, of Southfield 

 Farm; Mr. E. Hurst, of Cowley ; Mr. J.Price, of Glympton; 

 Mr. Lord, of Stauton Harcourt ; Mr, Parrott, &c. 



Mr. Barnett was voted to the chair. 



The Chairman said he regarded it as a great compliment 

 to be selected to have the honour of presiding over a meeting 

 to take into consideration a subject which was of great im- 

 portance to the farmers of this county. He should have 

 hesitated in taking the chair if he had been required to make 

 any remarks 'upon the question before the meeting, for he 

 was only a raw recruit in sheep-breeding, compared to the 

 veterans around him ; but he had come more out of curiosity 

 to hear the sentiments of gentlemen who were better quali- 

 fied than himself to speak of that breed of sheep peculiar 

 to this county, and which had now achieved no small 

 degree of reputation. He confessed that he had for a long 

 time felt a great interest in the subject, and had thought 

 that this breed of sheep had proved so useful to them that 

 the time would come when they would be better known and 

 more appreciated. He had mentioued the subject to some 

 friends of his, who were members of the Royal Agricultural 

 Society, with a view of showing that the breeders of this class 

 of sheep were not fairly treated in being precluded from com- 

 peting for some of their prizes. The name at present, " half- 

 bred," and " cross-bred," led people to think but little of 

 them, but he thought thit by a little exertion and patience 

 they might get the breed more universally recognized at their 

 great public meetings ; but that, however, must be left to the 

 decision of the Royal Agricultural Society. If they produced 

 the quantity of the long vyool, with the quality of the short 

 wool, it would entitle them to be classed along with the short- 

 woolled sheep. He was anxious to hear the opiuion of those 

 who were more competent to speak on this subject, and he 

 expected to have seen the Messrs. Druce at this meeting, 

 because they were large breeders of that class of sheep, and he 

 hoped before they departed they would agree to some resolu- 

 tion which would be satisfactory to all who were interested in 

 the breed of sheep for which this county had become so dis- 

 tinguished. 



Mr. H. Middleton, of Cutteslowe, admitted that he was 

 the writer of the letter which appeared in the two Oxford 

 newspapers a few weeks ago, suggesting the propriety of giv- 

 ing a more definite uame to the class of sheep now known as 

 " Down Cotswolds." He was induced to write that letter be- 

 cause at the recent Royal Agricultural meeting at Salisbury 

 they were entered in the catalogue not as Down Cotswolds, 

 but as Downs and Cotswolds, and were thought but little of. 

 It appeared to him that a breed of sheep of 20 years' standing 

 ought to have a definite name, like the Shropshire, Hampshire, 



and other Downs. The very Downs were now cultivated and 

 covered with corn, and the Down sheep were improved as well 

 as the pastures, and he considered the name of " Oxfordshire 

 Downs" would best denote the breed peculiar to this county. 

 At the recent exhibition in France, in the present year, the 

 Down Cotswolds were classed with the Cotswolds, instead of 

 with the short wooUed sheep, but the Down Cotswolds were 

 patronised by the gentlemen abroad as much as they were at 

 home. He contended that they ought to have a distinctive 

 name for their breed of sheep, and cited the authority of the 

 late Earl Spencer, who laid down the rule that if they con- 

 tinued a breed for four or five generations it was so fixed that 

 nothing could move it if they stuck to it. 



Mr. J. HiTCiiMAN, of Little Milton, said that now that the 

 matter was taken up with regard to this breed of sheep, which 

 had attained considerable reputation in this and other coun- 

 ties, he thought they ought to make a stand, especially as the 

 breed originated here. They certainly had brought it into 

 competition more than any other county, and he had been a 

 breeder of this class of sheep upwards of twenty years, and 

 exhibited them at the Smithfield Shosv the second year when 

 prizes were given to that class of sheep. He had taken five 

 first prizes in succession, aud had obtained nii;e medals and 

 several second prizes for them ; but after a few years he met 

 greater competition — and no man could expect to keep at the 

 head of the poll for ever, but must give way to his brother 

 breeders. They ought not to be dissatisfied because some 

 stepped before them, for it did good ; and he had heard the 

 Duke of Richmond, who was unsuccessful on one occasion, say 

 that it did them good to be beaten, and warned his competitors 

 that he shoidd step on their heels — which he shortly after- 

 wards did, and beat "them. This breed of sheep had certainly 

 made a stand in Oxfordshire ; and not only here, but was 

 spreading over the country, and bad now become an extensive 

 breed, and he was not sure whether it would not soon exceed 

 all other classes in point of numbers. They were not met on 

 that occasion to condemn this or that breed of sheep, and he 

 was not a bigoted man, but desired to see kept up all breeds 

 which were best adapted for their respective localities. He 

 thought they were now in a position to claim for their peculiar 

 breed of sheep a more definite name, and he could not see 

 why they should not have Oxfordshire Downs as well as Shrop- 

 shire and Hampshire Downs, especially as the breed was of 

 upwards of 20 years' standing, and no other class of sheep 

 suited this locality so well, aud if they went into other counties 

 he did not see why their sheep should not retain the name of 

 Oxfordshire Downs. 



Mr. Middleton explained, in allusion to a remark from 

 the Chairman, that Mr. Druce, sen., was at a watering place, 

 but that Mr. Joseph Druce and Mr. Samuel Druce, who were 

 unable to attend the meeling, were with him yesterday, and 

 cordially concurred in the proposal to give a more definite 

 name to the breed of sheep now known as Down Cotswolds. 



Mr. John Rowland said he concurred in what had fallen 

 from the previous speakers, and considered that this breed of 

 sheep was entitled to a distinctive name, which would enable 

 it to compete in any county as a distinct breed of sheep. The 

 breed had been kept up for twenty 'years, which was surely 

 long enough to establish any breed, and he thought that if 

 they went back they might even go to a further extent. With 



