130 



THE HAMPSHIRE 



and they begin at once to grow rapidly. As pure breds they do 

 not come to market finish at as light weight as Southdowns and 

 Shropshires, it being necessary for them to grow to eighty pounds 



FIG. 84. Hampshire ewes and lambs on alfalfa, University of Illinois. 



or more before they are sufficiently firm and ripe to be a first-class 

 lamb product. This is not the case with the cross breds, however, 

 and both in England and America the Hampshire ram is in demand 



FIG. 85. Lambs sired by the Hampshire ram in Fig. 153 and out of Western ewes shown in 

 Fig. 148. Lambs of this cross grow rapidly and are very popular on various Western ranges. 



for crossing purposes. In Idaho, Washington, and Montana, Hamp- 

 shires crossed on range ewes produce ideal market lambs. On the 

 mountain range they grow big, fat, and ripe and ready for slaughter 

 without ever having received grain (Fig. 85). 



