THE HAMPSHIRE DOWN 611 



types of large, coarse sheep in different districts. In north 

 and east Hampshire the breed was dark brown, almost black 

 on the face and ears ; with Roman nose, greatly developed 

 neck muscles, and large leg bones, a tendency to the pro- 

 duction of "snig horns," or loose scurs, and wool growing 

 below the hocks and knees, with only an occasional white 

 spot on the hair-covered surface. In Wiltshire a larger- 

 framed and less symmetrical animal, often with speckled 

 faces and ears, was produced. It was the genius of Humfrey, 

 of Oak Ash and Chaddleworth, near Newbury, that conceived 

 and guided the process of unifying and refining the various 

 types by introducing Sussex or Southdown blood a work 

 which also benefited the Dorset Down breed, as shown on 

 p. 609. The modern Hampshire occupies a large area in 

 the counties of Berks, Hants, and Wilts, " while many pure 

 flocks exist in Gloucestershire, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex, 

 Kent, Herts, Cambridge, Essex, Norfolk, Bedford, and the 

 Midlands generally." One feature of the breed is that it 

 is "adapted for the high-lying and barren uplands of the 

 chalk, where holdings are exceptionally large, and flocks 

 number from 1000 and upwards." The general run of flocks 

 is seldom under 300, and in vol. xv. of the Flock Book the 

 registered flocks numbered 363. 



Prior to 1861 the Royal Agricultural Society of England 

 recognised only four classes of sheep: (i) Leicesters ; (2) 

 Long-wool, not Leicesters ; (3) Southdowns ; (4) Short-woolled 

 sheep, not Southdowns. An addition to the list was announced 

 in 1 86 1, of Hampshire Downs, Lincolns, Cotswolds, Dorset 

 Horns, Oxford Downs, Romney Marsh, Mountain, and Irish 

 long-woolled breeds. 



The Hampshire is larger, coarser-looking, squarer, and 

 lower-set than the Shropshire, and when young not easily fed 

 to " handle fat," though often forced to great weights by high 

 feeding. Ewes on good land are frequently allowed i Ib. each 

 per day of a mixture of equal parts of linseed cake and peas 

 or cracked Egyptian beans, until the lambs begin to eat ; 

 then it is gradually taken from the ewes and given to the 

 lambs. With abundance of natural food in addition to the 

 concentrated mixture, a ram lamb may increase from 19 Ibs. 

 at dropping in January to 150 Ibs. live-weight on 1st August. 

 It is a common and successful practice to put them to the 



