JANUARY 57 



grass lands to run them on and leave enough for a herd of cows, 

 I started with about forty black-faced Suffolk ewes in lamb to a 

 Southdown ram. These lambs did exceedingly well ; I remember 

 that I sold the first lot of them at Easter for about thirty shillings 

 a head, and all the rest were fatted up and disposed of during the 

 summer at reasonable prices. Indeed, we had good luck with 

 them throughout, for I think that only one died ; also I lost an 

 ewe from inflammation of the lungs, but none during the lambing. 

 This year I took a fancy to try some Southdowns, and bought 

 about a score of well-bred ewes of that breed together with two 

 rams. The result of the experiment remains to be seen, but I 

 incline to the opinion that in this district it is best to keep to the 

 Suffolk ewes, crossing them perhaps with the Southdown rams to 

 get quality in the mutton. Pure-bred Southdowns no doubt 

 furnish the best meat, but they are too small. It is true that they 

 eat somewhat less than the black-faced breed, but, on the other 

 hand, the difference between the excellence of their mutton and 

 that of the Suffolks crossed with the Southdown is slight, whereas 

 the difference in weight is considerable. Where the Southdowns 

 really have the pull is in their appearance. The Suffolks, heavy 

 by comparison and hungry-looking, are at a disadvantage here 

 when compared with the nimble, shapely Southdowns, with their 

 game-like heads ; but after all, even in the case of sheep, handsome 

 is as handsome does, and the local butcher cares nothing about 

 looks. He goes by weight, and will give most for the heaviest lamb. 



With so small a flock on a mixed farm like mine, where there 

 are many things to attend to, I have no shepherd, nor can I 

 boast any proper lambing folds. In place of them a barn on the 

 All Hallows Farm is divided off into little pens with hurdles, 

 where the ewes are placed in comfort as they come on to lamb. 

 The steward. Hood, attends to them at that critical time, and 

 certainly hitherto his ministrations have met with considerable 

 success. 



As the weather keeps so open the cows are let out for a few 

 hours every day to take exercise in one or other of the meadows 



