HAMPSHIRE DOWNS. 59 



might be one or two which struck Mr. Humphrey as desirable. 

 One of such bought ewes bred Jack Tar by a ram from John 

 Bull's strain. Such fresh blood was used with great caution 

 and never directly. Thus Jack Tar was given a few ewes, 

 and their ewe lambs were saved as dams for rams. It was, 

 therefore, only after being well mixed with the blood of the 

 flock that new blood was allowed to permeate it. 



" Every lamb was marked as it fell, and those which 

 showed any breachiness or coarseness were notched at the top 

 of the ear ; and no matter how well these lambs turned out, 

 they were castrated and went to the butcher. Every lamb in 

 fact, which was not let for breeding was fattened off, and no 

 ewes were ever sold. Only good ewes were kept for breeding, 

 and all the rest were sold to butchers. The ewes which were 

 thought good enough for the flock were bred from until they 

 were worn out. One favourite was kept till she was fourteen 

 years old, and her last lamb was Oliver Twist. This ewe had 

 no udder for the last four years of her life, and Oliver Twist 

 was given to another ewe. This ram was first in his class at 

 Leeds, and at Battersea. 



" In using sires Mr. Humphrey was very particular. 

 Lambs were used cautiously, by giving each of the best about 

 twenty ewes. If the stock proved satisfactory the ram was 

 used again as a shearling, and in subsequent years, but if not 

 he was sent to the butcher. He always kept back his best 

 lambs from the annual hiring for his own use, and was not a 

 buyer at other people's ram sales, neither did he ever intro- 

 duce strange blood straight into his flock." 



Mr. Humphrey died in 1868, and his flock was then dis- 

 persed. Mr. Canning had some ewe lambs, so had Mr. 

 Parker and Mr. Budd. Mr. James Rawlence gave 60 gs. for 

 a ram lamb, Mr. William King paid 50 gs. for one, Mr. 

 Ferris 47 gs. for one, Mr. Child 40 gs. for one. 



Mr. Rawlence never missed a year having a lamb or two, 

 and Mr. E. Waters the same. 



Mr. James Rawlence has already been mentioned as an 



