994 



PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURE. 



Part III. 



and of wethers, two years old, from 20 to 301b. Tlie wool, on an average, is from 6 to 

 8 lbs. a fleece. (Cm/%, p. 106.) 



6394. The Devonshire Nots (Jig. 668.) have white faces and legs, thick necks, narrow 

 backs, and back bone high ; the sides good, legs short, and 

 the bones large ; weight much the same as the Leicesters, 

 wool heavier, but coarser. In the same county, there is a 

 small breed of long wooled sheep, known by the name of the 

 Exmoor sheep, from the place where they are chiefly bred. 

 They are horned, with white faces and legs, and peculiarly 

 delicate in bone, neck, and head ; but the form of the carcase 

 is not good, being narrow and flat-sided. The weight of the 



quarters, and of the fleece, about two-thirds that of the former .^,.^- ^^^^ _ . 



variety. --.-^il^^&tJ^i^^^^ 



6395. The shorter wooled varieties, and such as, from their size and form, seem well 

 suited to hilly and inferior pastures, are also numerous. Generally speaking, they are 

 too restless for inclosed arable land, on the one hand, and not suflSciently hardy for 

 healthy mountainous districts, on the other. To this class belong the breeds of Dorset, 

 Hereford, Sussex, Norfolk, and Cheviot. 



6396. The Dorsetshire sheep (fig. 669.) are mostly 

 horned, white faced, stand upon high small white legs, 

 and are long and thin in the carcase. The wethers, 

 three years and a half old, weigh from 16 to 20lbs. a 

 quarter. The wool is fine and short, from 3 to 4 lbs. a 

 fleece. The mutton is fine grained and well-flavored. 

 This breed has the peculiar property of producing lambs 

 at almost any period of the year, even so early as Sep- 

 tember and October. They are particularly valued for 

 supplying London and other markets with house lamb, 

 which is brought to market by Christmas, or sooner if wanted, and after that, a constant 

 and regular supply is kept up all the winter. 



6397. The Wiltshire sheep area variety of this breed, which, by attention to size, have 

 got considerably more weight ; viz. from 20 to 28 lbs. a quarter. These, in general, 

 have no wool upon their bellies, which gives them a very uncouth appearance. The 

 variations of this breed are spread through many of the southern counties, as well as 

 many in the west, viz. Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, &c.; though 

 some of them are very different from the Dorsetshire, yet they are, Culley apprehends, 

 only variations of this breed, by crossing with different tups ; and which variations con- 

 tinue northward until they are lost amongst those of the Lincolnshire breeds. (Culley, 

 p. 131.) 



670 6398. The Herefordshire breed (Jig. 670.) is known by the 



want of horns, and their having white legs and faces, the wool 

 growing close to their eyes. The carcase is tolerably well 

 formed, weighing from 10 to 18 lbs. a quarter, and bearing very 

 fine short wool, from 1^ to 2^ lbs. a fleece : the mutton is excel- 

 lent. The store or keeping sheep of this breed are put into 



cots at night, winter and summer, and in winter foddered in 



racks with peas-straw, barley-straw, &c., and in very bad weather with hay. These cots 

 are low buildings, quite covered over, and made to contain from one to five hundred 

 sheep, according to the size of the farm or flock kept. The true Herefordshire breed are 

 frequently called Ryeland sheep, from the land formerly being thought capable of pro- 

 ducing no better grain than rye ; but which now yields every kind of grain. A cross 

 between this breed and the merinos, was extensively cultivated by the late Dr. Parry, 

 of Bath, an eminent wool-grower, and promoter of agricultural improvement. 



6399. The South Down sheep (Jig. 671.) are without horns ; 

 they have dark or black-grey faces and legs, fine bones, long 

 small necks ; are low before, high on the shoulder, and light 

 in the fore quarter ; the sides are good, and the loin tolerably 

 broad, back-bone too high, the thigh full, and twist good. 

 The fleece is very short and fine, weighing from 2f to 3 lbs. 

 The average weight of two years old wethers is about 1 8 lbs. 

 per quarter, the mutton fine in the grain, and of an excellent ?^^ 

 flavor. These sheep have been brought to a high state of improvement by Elman, of 

 Glynd, and other intelligent breeders. They prevail in Sussex, on very dry chalky 

 downs, producing short fine herbage. 



6400. In the iVbr/oZ/; sAee/j the face is black, horns large and spiral; the carcase is 

 very small, long, thin, and weak, with narrow chines, weighing from 16 to 20 lbs. per 

 <]|uarter ; and they have very long dark or grey legs, and large bones. The wool is short 



