Agriculture of Shropshire. 43 



symmetry and quality of tlie South Down with the weig^ht of the 

 Cotswold ; it possesses the fattening tendency of the Leicester 

 without its delicate constitution; but this disposition to fat is 

 combined with such a development of the muscles of the body, 

 that a beautifully marbled meat is produced, which can go on any 

 table in the kingdom, and especially amongst the higher classes 

 of society, where the excessive fatness of the Leicester mutton 

 is objectionable. The price of this mutton is as high as any 

 in the market, and when this is said of sheep ranging from 

 35 lbs. to 40 lbs. per quarter, and carrying fleeces of the best 

 quality from 6 lbs. to 12 lbs. in weight, it must be admitted 

 that such a breed is indeed of very high value. 



Throughout this district the Shropshire Downs are generally 

 kept pure, being considered more useful than any cross-bred 

 animal. A cross from the Leicester gives a greater tendency 

 to fat and a more delicate constitution, less able therefore to 

 withstand the influence of wet and cold. A decreased energy of 

 system results therefrom, and the animal not only does not 

 progress during inclement weather, but is more susceptible oi 

 disease. The tendency to produce fat when unaccompanied by 

 a proportionate development of muscle is not desirable with the 

 Shropshire Down, for they now excel all other downs in this 

 valuable point to the connoisseur, by having a well-formed 

 muscular system, giving plenty of lean, and yet interlaid with a 

 moderate proportion of fat. For these reasons, the introduction 

 of Leicester blood is strongly objected to. The Cotswold blood 

 has been tried, but it has not been received with more favour. 

 Scarcely any increase of weight has been gained, but the quality 

 of the Down mutton has deteriorated, and hence more harm has 

 resulted than good. With ordinarily liberal feed the Shropshire 

 hoggets will weigh 20 lbs. per quarter at twelve months old, and 

 at twenty months old they will very often average 35 lbs. per 

 quarter through the lot. For the last three years good hoggets, 

 sold in May, have fetched, with fair management, 41,s. to 46^., 

 besides cutting 6 lbs. or 7 lbs. of wool each. There is therefore 

 no great advantage to be gained by the increase of weight, and 

 even if there had been, there must be some very strong reason to 

 induce flock-masters to sacrifice the point of quality, which is so 

 jealously guarded in the Down sheep. 



In the northern portion of the district the Hocks are not per- 

 manent, because of the unsoundness of the land. The usual 

 custom here is to purchase Welsh ewes in the autumn, cross 

 them with Leicester rams, and fatten both ewes and lambs. The 

 Welsh ewes have very much improved within a few years, and 

 really useful flocks are now driven into and through this county, 

 from districts whence we only used to have stock of very inferior 



