THE MUTTON BREEDS OF SHEEP 335 



sidered a native breed. These are accepted as the pro- 

 genitors of the present Shropshire, although it is a common 

 belief that the Southdown was used to hasten the improve- 

 ment. It is thought, also, that the Leicester and Cots- 

 wold were used to increase the size and amount of wool, 

 and that the sheep from Cannock Chase, in the county 

 of Stafford, were used in the early breeding efforts. Samuel 

 Meise, of Barrington, and George Adney, of Harley, were 

 among the most successful of the early improvers. The 

 Shropshire first attracted attention at the Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society Show, in 1855 ; and in 1859 it was recog- 

 nized as a distinct breed and given a class. 



384. History in America. The first American im- 

 portation on record was made into Virginia, in 1855. 

 In 1860, Samuel Sutton introduced a number of ewes and 

 a ram into Maryland. In 1862 and again a few years 

 later, flocks were established in New York. They had 

 made their way into Canada also, as they are reported to 

 have been taken from Canada to Michigan in the early 

 seventies. There were large importations in the early 

 eighties. The American Record Association was organized 

 in 1884, at Lafayette, Indiana. 



385. Description. The Shropshire now has uniformly 

 dark brown face and legs, is 10 to 15 per cent heavier than 

 the Southdown, the standard weight for rams being 225 

 pounds and for ewes 175 pounds. Many, however, exceed 

 these weights by fifty pounds when in show condition. 

 It has a broad head, short face, thick, muscular neck, 

 closely knit shoulders, symmetrical body, somewhat 

 barrel-shaped, except that it is straight on the back. 

 In form it is not so good in the thigh and twist as the South- 

 down. In general outline, it is taller and more rangy, but 

 the present tendency is toward the Southdown in form. 



