IMPROVEMENT BY ELLMAN 



103 



Improvement by Ellman. Long before Ellmjan began his work 

 there was a widespread conviction amongst sheep raisers on the 

 Southdowns that fine fleeces and ill forms were closely associated, 

 and hence that in order to grow fine wool ill-formed sheep had to be 

 tolerated. But Ell man did not believe this and he proposed to 

 make out of the old Southdown a better sheep by improving both 

 its form and fleece. In connection with the improvement of mut- 

 ton form he also sought more fattening power and quality with 

 respect to the percentage of offal in dressing. He rapidly attained 



FIG. 60. Southdown ram exhibited by Robert McEwen, Byron, Ontario. The thick, 

 compact body, combined with the quality denoted by the trimness about the head are 

 characteristic of the breed. 



considerable improvement and, so far as is known, entirely by selec- 

 tion, although it is probable that the selections he made resulted 

 in inbreeding or line breeding. He .selected the best for his pur- 

 pose wherever he could find it, but always within the native Sussex 

 breed. He fixed a type which was shorter in neck, thicker in fore 

 quarters, more nearly level on top, wider sprung in the rib, and 

 better in fleece with respect to length, quality, density and exten- 

 sion than -the original stock from which he started. 



Mr. Ellman's career as a breeder extended over a period of 54 

 years or more. In 1829 he dispersed his flock of about 1400 head. 

 He died in 1832. 



