FARMERS' REGISTER— IMPROVED BREEDS OF SHEEP. 



145 



maturity depend, and as be is known when fed to 

 want none of tlie requisite firmness of flesli, it is 

 at that period only wlien the two breeds ought to 

 be compared." 



I have been led in'.o the foreo;oing' remarks and 

 statement, liy a consideration of the steps pursued 

 by Mr. Colce in tlie progress of the improvement 

 effected in his slieep, and by the reflections which 

 presented themselves during nn endeavor to as- 

 certain the principles whicii actuated liim, for 

 though he would readily have gone most fully into 

 any particulars I might have requested, on this, as 

 well as on any other occurrence of interest, it has 

 always appeared to me a not unprofitable exercise 

 of the mind, to attempt an investigation of the 

 views of those whose endeavors have been crowned 

 with success. 



It is very evident, on the inspection of the Ilolk- 

 ham flock, that JMr. Coke knew how to draw ad- 

 mirable results from, what would appear to many, 

 very unpromising particidars, and that the want 

 of resemblance in tlie Hampshire sheep to the 

 more correct models presented by the Leicesters 

 and Southdowns, by no means dismayed him. He 

 did not act upon the piinciple I have been censur- 

 mg, and abstain li'oni the cross with Hampshire 

 sheep, because they were unlike his Southdowns, 

 or because they were not in themselves what he 

 considered sheep ought to be, but he adopted them 

 for a cross under the assurance that they could fur- 

 nish vrhat lie wanted, and relied on his own skill 

 to obviate the inconveniences which might arise 

 from that proceeding. In this ability to foresee, in 

 what the ma.jority of observers would consider un- 

 promising combinations, a great luture excellence, 

 and, on the other hand, to detect those cases in 

 which particular combinations will be productive 

 of disastrous results, consists the superiority of a 

 breeder over his competitors. Persons of less skill 

 may, indeed, for a time go on successfully, with a 

 good stock, but, without this tact, they wiU fail to 

 originate any essential improvement, otherwise 

 than by chance. Nothing can, in the first instance, 

 be imagined more unpromising than the Hamp- 

 shire sheep, and, indeed, the produce of the first 

 cross with the Southdown is any thing but attrac- 

 tive to the eye. But under the investigation of the 

 hand, qualities become apparent which the eye 

 Itiiled to discover, and it is evident, materials are 

 presented wherewith a skilful breeder, returning 

 again to the jiure Southdown, may produce those 

 results, to obtain which the cross was instituted. 

 Under these circumstances, and personally direct- 

 ing eveiy selection, JMr. Coke has produced a 

 flock, diflering from pure Southdowns only in these 

 particulars, viz. — in the possession of more ■useful 

 frame (a description comprehending much that is 

 highly important) — a superior quality and quantity 

 of wool — and a greater quantity of mutton, par- 

 ticularly distinguished for a sufficiency of lean 

 meat, per acre, and he has not, in the least, sacri- 

 ficed the early maturity of the Southdowns. 

 Many persons may doubt the last mentioned fact, 

 on plausible theoretical grounds, but in this case 

 the great access of constitutional stamina resulting 

 from the cross has more than atoned for any loss 

 of the maturing quality, which might, under other 

 circumstances, have been experienced. Practical 

 men will immediately recognize the particulars in 

 which the last mentioned advantages would be 

 realized. 



Vol. II.-ll 



It is impossible for me, myself a breeder, and an 

 advocate tor crossing, under circumstances I have 

 li-equently stated, to dismiss this part, of my subject 

 without expressing a conviction, that independent- 

 ly of all the advantages Avhich result to the public 

 fi-om the adoption and perfection of this judicioua 

 cross, we are no less indebted to JMr. Colic Ibr tlie 

 example* he has set us, of successfidly breaking 

 through one of the trammels by which breeders 

 suffer their exertions to be paralyzed, and, too Ire- 

 quently, their stocks ruined. All things equal, ex- 

 cept purity of blood, I should assuredly give the 

 preference to a pure stock, but if such a stock be 

 evidently rapidly tending towards that state, in 

 which nothing will remain but its purity to recom- 

 mend it, why should we suffer ourselves to be fet- 

 tered by idle, and not merely useless, but mischiev- 

 oug distinctions, acting as if the word pure (to 

 which, by the bye, but few stocks can lay claim,) 

 possessed a talismanic power, not only to shield 

 them li-om deterioration, but to promote their im- 

 provement? To some persons all this may sound 

 strangely, coming irom a breeder of pure im- 

 proved short-horns, but a fair interpretation of my 

 humble labors in the field of agriculture, will acquit 

 me of ever aiming to promote any thing which 

 appeared otherwise than useful, according to the 

 best of myjudgement. 



As in the case of the Devon cattle, Mr. Coke's 

 improvement on his flock of sheep is insufTiciently 

 valued among his tenantry, but from what I saw 

 and heard, I doubt not his rams will soon be ge- 

 nerally resorted to. Among the Holkham tenant- 

 ry to whom I was kindly inti'oduced at their own 

 houses, was Mr. Kendle, on Avliose farm Kippen 

 Ash Fair is held. This gentleman informed me 

 he was using the improved rams, and confidently 

 relied on realising the advantages I have enume- 

 rated. He particularly considered he should gain 

 in weight oi^ mutton, per acre, as up to that period 

 he had stocked his sheep as closely as formerly. 

 But the most important fact, resulting from his 

 adopting the improved rams, Mr. Kendle consid- 

 ered to be, that the lambs being dropped rougher 

 and hardier than those of the pure Southdown, he 

 considered himself a gainer, in consequence, to the 

 amount of fifteen or twenty in a hundred! Add to 

 the foregoing, that he was making a considerable 

 addition to his flock of ewes, in consequence of 

 finding he can now turn off his sheep as yearlings. 

 These facts were well authenticated and known, 

 and yet at the fair before mentioned, where up- 

 wards of 20,000 sheep were penned, the long- 

 legged Norfolk sheep only were in demand, and I 

 was assured that, as sheep, nothing nuich worse 

 could be imagined — a fact easily credited from the 

 specimens which came under my notice in differ- 

 ent parts of the county. On this subject a singu- 

 lar fact came out in conversation with Mr. Kendle. 

 He informed me the jobbers would not give so 

 much, by sev^en shillings each, for his superior 

 sheep as for the wretched Norfolks. To these 

 middle men I ascribe, in great measure, the infat- 



* With respect to sheep in particular, this example is 

 of the utmost importance, for it is probable that con- 

 venience or fashion will frequently call on the breeder 

 to vary the staple of his wool, and immense losses have 

 been sustained while breeders have hesitated whether 

 they should follow fashion, or wait for its re-adoption 

 of the article they produce. 



