406 THE SHEEP OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



Mr. Pitfield, Mr. ilower, and Mr. Eaper, of Little Bredy, and 

 Mr. J. F. Eaper, of Mayeston Farm. The ram lambs fetch from 

 five to twenty guineas each, and the best rams from fifteen to- 

 thirty guineas. Dorchester is now about the centre of the dis- 

 trict in the county of Dorset where the breed is propagated, for 

 although these sheep are most numerously kept in the west and 

 south of the county, they extend thi'oughout the Isle of Purbeck 

 eastward. In south Dorset, besides the breeders already named 

 there are Mr. W. Mayo, of Friar Wadden ; Mr. C. Hawkins, of 

 Wadden; Mr. J. Mayo, of Broadway; E. B. Sheridan, Esq., of 

 Frampton ; the Messrs. Kent, and several others. Westward^ 

 Mr. Legg, of Beaminster ; Mr. Bradford, Mr. E. Watts, and 

 Mr. L. G-roves all keep large flocks. Around Dorchester there 

 are Messrs. Symes, Mr. T. Sampson, Mr. John Chick, Mr. T. 

 Chick, Mr. W. Dunning, Mr. Symes, Messrs. Paul, &c. In the 

 Isle of Purbeck the Earl of Eldon and Messrs. Kent take the 

 lead. 



The fecundity of Dorset sheep is so great that the possibility 

 of taking from them two crops of lambs in one year does not 

 exist merely as rare and exceptional, but has often been effected. 

 Such excessive demands are deemed too trying to the constitu- 

 tions of ewes for flockmasters to make them as a rule, but with 

 high feeding the Dorset ewes can be made to take the ram at 

 almost any period. The details of ordinary management do not 

 differ very materially from those required for Southdowns and 

 Hampshires, beyond bringing the ewes to lamb earlier. 

 Although from an early period, always bearing a good reputa- 

 tion as sheep well adapted to the folding system, they are cer- 

 tainly more impatient of continuous close breachings on turnips 

 than Down sheep ; nor are they subjected to this overmuch in 

 their native districts. West Dorset and South Somerset possess 

 a large proportion of good upland grass fields to arable land ; 

 the custom in consequence of turning the flock into these 

 to ramble at large by day, and bringing it back to the ploughed 

 fields at night for folding on some green or root produce, 

 is very general. Although breeding flocks have hitherto 

 been almost entirely restricted to the counties of Dorset and 

 Somerset, there seems little reason why they should not be 

 extended to other parts of the kingdom, particularly to those 



