MODERN FARRIER. 431 



3^. The Wiltshire Breed, 



This is a sort which has sometimes the title of 

 horned crocks. The writer on live stock distin- 

 guishes the breed, as having a large head and eyes, 

 Roman r>ose, wide nostrils, horns bending down the 

 cheeks, colour all white, wide bosom, deep grey- 

 hound breast, back rather straight, carcase substan- 

 tial, legs long, bone coarse, fine middle wool, very 

 thin on the bellv, which is sometimes bare. He 

 supposes, Avith CuUey, that the basis of this breed is 

 doubtless the Dorset, enlarged by some long-wooUed 

 cross ; but how the horns come to take a direction 

 so contrary, is not easy he thinks to conjecture ; he 

 has sometimes imagined it must be the result of 

 some foreign, probably Tartarian, cross. 



33. The Berkshire Breed. 



The pecidiar qualities of the Berkshire nott breed 

 t^eem to be its great size, height on the legs, and 

 weight when fattened. It would appear, contrary 

 to the opinion of some, that this breed is well suited 

 for the strong low lands of its native district, though 

 the South Down sort are fast supplanting it in many 

 places, probably without sufficient experience of 

 tliem in such situations. 



34. The South Down Breed. 



This is a very valuable sort of sheep, which Cul- 

 ley has distinguished by having no horns, grey faces 

 and legs, fine bones, long small necks, and by being 

 rather low before, high on the shoulder, and light 

 in the fore-quarter, sides good, loin tolerably broad, 

 back-bone rather high, thigh full, twist good, mut- 

 ton fine in grain, and well flavoured. Wool short, 

 very close and fine, in the length of the staple from 

 two to three inches. Weight per quarter in wed- 

 ders at two years old 18 pounds. It is a breed 

 which prevails on the dry chalky downs in Sussex, 



