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THE SOUTH DOWN OR SUSSEX SHEEP. 



THE districts where these Sheep have been chiefly 

 bred, consist of dry, chalky downs, which pro- 

 duce a short and fine herbage. The animals are 

 hornless, and have grey or speckled faces and legs; 

 and peculiarly fine, close, and short wool. Their 

 bones are small, and their neck long and slender. 

 They are low before, high on the shoulder, and 

 light in the fore-quarter. The sides are good, and 

 the loin tolerably broad; but the back-bone is too 

 high. The hind quarters are generally heavier 

 than the fore quarters. 



Butchers are partial to South Down Sheep, pre- 

 ferring them to the Dishley breed, from the cir- 

 cumstance of the latter showing all their fat on the 

 outside, whilst these are always fatter within. 

 The mutton is considered to be, in every respect, 

 superior in delicacy and flavour to that of other 

 Sheep bred in the southern parts of England. The 

 average weight of the two-years old wethers is 

 about eighteen pounds per quarter: they are sel- 

 dom kept beyond this age ; and many persons feed 

 them at eighteen months. The Ewes are chiefly 

 sold at four years' old, to graziers in the welds of 

 Sussex and Kent, who fat both the Lambs and 

 Ewes in the ensuing summer. Graziers from other 



counties, 



