THE DORSET HORN. 77 



The peculiarity which stamps the Dorset sheep is the 

 extreme earliness of the time in which they bring forth 

 their young. They take the ram in April and lamb in 

 September, thus producing lambs fit for the table in De- 

 cember, when lamb is a luxury, and therefore commands 

 a highly remunerative price. Fifty years ago the Dorset 

 sheep was described by Youatt as entirely white, the face 

 long and broad, with a tuft of wool on the forehead, the 

 shoulders low but broad, the back straight, the chest deep r 

 the loins broad, the legs rather beyond a moderate length, 

 and the bone small. The ram carries a pair of finely-turned 

 horns, and the ewe carries a crooked horn, but without con- 

 volutions or spiral turnings. They are described as hardy 

 and good folders, yielding well-flavoured mutton, and as- 

 averaging when three years old from 16 to 20 Ibs. per quarter 

 of marketable carcase. 



The marked improvement which has been effected since 

 Youatt wrote is shown by the fact that at ten to sixteen 

 months old wethers are now brought out at the same weights 

 mentioned by him as fairly representing that of a three-year- 

 old sheep. I am indebted to Mr. Thomas Chick, of Stratton, 

 Dorchester, for some interesting facts relating to the Dorsets 

 of the present day, in a letter dated February i5th, 1890, in 

 which he informs me that Mr. John Kidner's first-prize 

 wethers at the last Smithfield Show weighed above 5 cwt. 3 

 qrs. live weight, or a little under 2 cwt. each, and Mr. Samuel 

 Kidner's second-prize pen scaled somewhat more. The fleece 

 is also now much heavier. Fifty years ago it was computed y 

 as averaging 3! Ibs., whereas now a breeding flock of ewes - 

 will clip 5 Ibs. to 6 Ibs. of wool ; two-tooth ewes, 6 Ibs. to 7 \ 

 Ibs. ; and Chilver lambs nearly 3 Ibs. each. Rams will clip j 

 from 8 Ibs. to 12 Ibs. each ; all these weights being taken after 

 usual pool washing. 



Mr. Chick kindly replies as follows to several enquiries 

 which I made, omitting particulars with respect to the weights- 

 of carcase already given : 



