Sheep 



397 



the under side of the body frequently being short- wooled, or 

 bare. Strong features of the Dorset are the breeding habit, 

 the prolificacy, and the milking quality of the ewes. The 

 ewes can be bred to lamb in the fall; this makes the breed 

 popular with farmers who desire to grow " hot-house lambs," 

 that is, lambs that can be marketed from Thanksgiving to 

 Easter. The ewes can be bred to lamb twice a year, but this 

 practice is not advised. Twin lambs are rather common, 

 more so than with other breeds. The milking qualities of the 

 ewes is above the average and, largely on this account, the lambs 

 grow rapidly and come to marketable age early. 



Cheviot. Animals of the Cheviot breed (Fig. 173) have 

 been raised for centuries in the Cheviot Hills near the border 

 of Scotland and Eng- 

 land. They are vigor- 

 ous, alert, and hardy 

 and can often be raised 

 on high rugged lands 

 that are unsuited to the 

 other breeds. The form 

 approaches the mutton 

 type, but it does not 

 equal that of the down 

 breeds. The head, face, 

 and ears are characteris- 

 tic in appearance, the 

 head being broad between the eyes, the ears erect, and the 

 face and ears covered with fine, white hair. The fleece ends 

 just back of the ears and about the throat in a ruff. The 

 legs are clean of wool and are covered with hair like that on 

 the face and ears. In size the animals are medium, rams 

 weighing about two hundred pounds and ewes about one hun- 

 dred fifty pounds. The wool is of excellent quality, rather 

 light in weight, and is white in contrast to the gray tinge of 

 the down breeds. 



FIG. 173. Cheviot ram. 



