336 THE BREEDS OF LIVE-STOCK 



The Shropshire is possessed of great fecundity, early 

 maturity and quick-fattening qualities (Plate XII). 



386. Uses of Shropshire sheep. Their good mutton 

 form and quality and profitable wool production make the 

 Shropshires the great American sheep after the Merinos, 

 in their Delaine and Rambouillet forms. They have a 

 much longer, more open and coarser fleece than the 

 Southdown, are covered more extensively over the head 

 and legs, and yield perhaps 50 per cent more wool. Ewes 

 average eight pounds or more and rams twelve pounds of 

 fleece. The fleece is of good fiber and carries consider- 

 able oil. They are hardier than the larger breeds, 

 although yielding to the Southdowns in this particular. 

 The lambs may be profitably marketed at any time 

 from five to twelve months of age, though usually the 

 earlier they are marketed the greater the profit. The rams 

 are very generally used on Merino and native ewes for 

 the production of high-class mutton lambs. 



387. Distribution. Shropshires are now recorded 

 from almost every state in the Union and from Canada, 

 and far exceed in numbers any other English breed in 

 America. They are more popular in the North and East, 

 not being extensively found on the ranges. They do 

 best on good pastures, as their rustling qualities are only 

 medium. They are found very generally throughout 

 England and her colonies and, in fact, throughout the 

 civilized world, especially in Europe, Africa, Australia 

 and South America. 



388. Organization and records. In 1882, the English 

 Shropshire Sheep Society was organized. The first volume 

 of its flock-book was issued in 1884. The American Shrop- 

 shire Sheep Association was organized in 1884, and has 

 issued twenty-six volumes of its flock-book, registering 



