244 THE STOCKFEEDER'S COMPANION 



before parasites become troublesome ; and, (</) they give 

 the farmer an opportunity of relieving the pastures in the 

 summer months, especially when he can purchase sheep 

 or lambs in the early autumn for feeding off the 

 roots. This also means that the number of sheep 

 kept on the farm during the year is increased, and the 

 profit from them greater. 



Hill sheep are comparatively slow fatteners, and 

 possess a roaming disposition ; but they are good 

 milkers, make admirable mothers, and when fat, produce 

 a sweet, fine-grained mutton which contains a high 

 proportion of lean meat, hence they are mated with 

 a larger breed to get the first cross ewes ; then, in 

 order to get lambs which will grow and fatten rapidly, 

 it is necessary to cross these ewes with rams of 

 some of the larger breeds which are noted for their 

 mutton-producing capacities, such as the Oxford, Hamp- 

 shire, etc. It is further important that these cross-bred 

 lambs should have an aptitude to both grow and 

 fatten during the first few months of their lives. 

 Principal Lawrence found in his experiments that 

 while the lambs produced by the Oxford ram crossed 

 with Border Leicester Scotch Black-faced ewes could 

 be fattened off in three months, it took an extra month 

 to fatten the lambs produced when a Wensleydale 

 ram was used with similarly bred ewes. The Oxford 

 Down and Hampshire Down are certainly very 

 popular for crossing with the local ewes, although 

 Border Leicesters and Suffolks have given very good 

 results. With fairly large ewes like Romney Marsh or 

 Kent sheep, the South Down makes a very fine cross. 



In East Lothian the three-crop ewes are sometimes 

 weaned from their lambs towards the end of July, so as 

 to get them lambing early (January or early February) 



