LECTURE LI 



OXFORDS. 



Origin, History, and Development. 



This is another breed of sheep that has been established 

 by judicious crossing up to a certain point when mating took 

 place within its own class. 



In order to produce a better sheep for the farmer, the 

 butcher, and the consumer, Mr. Samuel Druce of Eynsham, 

 England, began operations by crossing a Cotswold ram on 

 Hampshire ewes. This work he began in 1833, some seven or 

 eight years before Mr. Humphrey began his work which cul- 

 minated in the Improved Hampshire. So that we may con- 

 clude these Hampshire ewes used by Mr. Druce were of a 

 somewhat ununiform lot, rough, loose, coarse and lacking a 

 fixity of type. 



Mr. Druce found better results when he used the second 

 or third crosses than he did with the first cross. It is said 

 that the flockmaster adopted the plan for a time of dividing 

 his ewes into three classes. On his best ewes, that is, those 

 that conformed to his ideal type, he put a cross-bred ram, on 

 the small ewes a Cotswold ram, and on the coarser ones a 

 Down ram. Quite a number of other men followed Mr. 

 Druce's lead, and from the increased numbers better oppor- 

 tunities for selection were afforded. 



As time went on, improvements were in evidence and uni- 

 formity began to assert itself. The speckled faces gave way 

 to uniform dark brown, with sometimes a splash of gray on 

 the nose. The rough, coarse form became smooth, refined and 

 evenly fleshed. The body was covered with a good even 



187 



