FOR SHOW RING AND MARKET. 



fectly sprung ribs can be said to be good on the crops. 

 Where the ribs are well sprung the shoulders are well set 

 apart, but where the animal is slab-sided the shoulder-blades. 

 usually run together at a point, which at once condemns the 

 animal as one decidedly poor in the crops, and an animal 

 poor in this point cannot be accepted as of a desirable mut- 

 ton form. 



All rams of both the Downs and the Longwools should 

 be polled or free from horns. No matter how good they may 

 otherwise be, no ram should be awarded a premium that shows 

 the slightest trace of horns or stubs. Even now, after many 

 years of careful breeding our Downs are liable to produce 

 horns once in a while, but of course cases of this kind be- 

 come more rare each year. 



The Fleece. 



The fleece of show stock should be minutely examined^ 

 and any showing the slightest tendency to dark or black 

 spots should not be countenanced, either as show or breeding 

 stock. There is a tendency in some breeds to "throw dark 

 spots" in fleece more so than in others. I refrain from in- 

 dividualizing or mentioning breeds, for reasons that must 

 be obvious. Sometimes these black spots, if any exist, are 

 to be found in the wool on the thighs or more properly, per- 

 haps, hind legs of the animal. 



Sometimes the purest blooded sheep are found carrying 

 imperfections of the fleece, such as dark or gray tufts of wool, 

 on their sides or other parts of their bodies; in many cases- 

 they are 50 small as to be easily overlooked by the judge, 

 while in others they will be as large as a silver dollar. This,. 



