LIVE STOCK. 341 



11 In making these remarks respecting the South Down sheep, 

 I wish it to be fully understood that it is far from my wish to 

 disparage any other breed of sheep. There may be others 

 equally good for certain districts and localities ; possibly better. 

 My object has been to point out the general usefulness of the 

 one, without calling in question the good qualities of any other.&quot; 



I hardly know what requires to be added to an account of this 

 excellent breed of sheep, so full and explicit as that which has 

 now been laid before my readers, and every word of which rests 

 upon careful and successful experience. Some of the principal 

 breeders of sheep in England have annually a letting of tups or 

 rams, in which their best rams are exhibited, and they are then 

 let, in open auction, to such farmers as choose to hire them for 

 the season, for the improvement of their flocks. I have attended 

 two such meetings, where I found a numerous party of farmers, 

 breeders, and amateurs, assembled, some coming from a long 

 distance, the competition spirited, and the hospitalities of the 

 farmer or proprietor, at whose place we met, most liberal. 



The first of the two meetings I attended, was at Ingestrie, 

 Staffordshire, the seat of Earl Talbot. The bucks to be let, on 

 this occasion, were superior animals of the Leicester or Bake well 

 breed, amounting to twenty-four. There were of these twelve 

 shearlings, or animals from whom only one fleece had been 

 taken, arid the amounts of these shearings were given as fol 

 lows : 7? Ibs. ; 10J Ibs. ; 8 Ibs. ; 8J Ibs. ; 7J Ibs. ; 9:? Ibs. ; 8 Ibs. ; 

 9 Ibs. ; 10 Ibs. ; 8J Ibs. ; 11 Ibs. ; 9 Ibs. These sheep were all of 

 a high character. In this case the bidding was private, the offer 

 being privately communicated to the agent for the sale, who first 

 announced to the bidder the price at which the individual sheep 

 was held, and then took the highest advance upon that price, the 

 buck too, upon which he bid, being known likewise only to the 

 agent. This method gratified the secretiveness of those who 

 wished to conceal their bargains, and at the same time induced 

 the hirers to name at once their highest offer. The company, 

 which was numerous, afterwards dined together in the palace 

 hall. His lordship himself presided at the dinner. 



At Mr. Webb s, at Babraham, Cambridgeshire, the bucks to 



be let amounted to 177, which were all numbered and tied upon 



the ground, for the examination of the company. The number 



of each sheep was given upon a list exhibited, with his age, the 



29* 



