THE BREEDS OF SHEEP 83 



1880 much attention was given the breed, and large exhibi- 

 tions were made at English shows. These sheep were first 

 imported into America in 1860, by Samuel Sutton, of Mary- 

 land. Twenty years later they were imported in larger 

 numbers, and since then thousands have been brought to 

 the United States, where this is the most popular of all the 

 mutton breeds. In size the Shropshire is medium, the 

 mature rams weighing about 225 pounds and the ewes about 

 160 pounds. The head often has a covering of wool, or 

 "cap," down to the nose, which is covered with dark brown 

 or nearly black hair. The back is broad, the leg of mutton 

 very good, and the body is usually deep, showing good feed- 

 ing capacity. The legs are dark brown in color like the face, 

 and are covered with wool to the knees in front and to the 

 ankles behind. The quality of mutton is most excellent, being 

 second to the Southdown only. The fleece is usually about 

 3J/2 inches long, and is of very good quality. A twelve 

 months' growth from fair specimens of the breed weighs about 

 9 or 10 pounds. The combination of good size of body and 

 weight of fleece has done much to make this breed popular 

 with American farmers, as a great general-purpose sheep. 

 Besides this, Shropshires are the most prolific breed we have, 

 many ewes having twin lambs. Flocks are very common 

 all over the so-called corn belt of the United States, espe- 

 cially east of the Mississippi and in Canada. The American 

 Shropshire Sheep Association is the largest organization of 

 its kind in the world, and has done much to promote the 

 breed. 



The Oxford Down sheep comes from the county of Oxford, 

 in south-central England. It is a beautiful rolling country, 

 with good pastures, and where wheat and small grains thrive. 

 This is one of our youngest breeds of sheep, and comes from 

 a combination of Cotswold and Hampshire blood. About 



