SECRETARY'S REPORT. 203 



making a total of -f 28,G02. This was only the clearing out of 

 the flock. The first portion of it, which was sold last year, 

 1861, comprising 067 animals, brought over $54,631, so that 

 the wliole flock of 1,404 realized the owner more tlian $83,193. 



When the small cost of raising sheep, where the dogs are 

 licensed, or taken care of according to law, is considered, the 

 profits to the breeder would seem to be satisfactory. Is it not 

 time, not only for the farmer, but for the officers of towns 

 whose duty it is to enforce the sheep law with us, to consider 

 how much we are losing annually by keeping dogs instead of 

 sheep, and how much the whole community suffers in conse- 

 quence of the dog risks in sheep raising, which deter so many 

 from this profitable and interesting branch of farming ? It is 

 certainly for the interest of town,s to be liberal to those who 

 keep sheep and suffer loss from dogs. Let them enforce the 

 law to the very letter, and then, if those who embark in this 

 enterprise lose a valuable animal, let them not quibble about 

 the proof that a dog caused the loss, if there is any reasonable 

 ground to suppose he did, but show tli(j farmers that they have 

 ample protection under the law, and in less than five years we 

 shall see our flocks multiplied. 



The Shropshires were shown in considerable numbers, there 

 being upwards of ninety entries, and so were the Hampshire 

 Downs. Both these breeds have undergone very great improve- 

 ments of late years. I am not aware that specimens of either 

 of them have been imported to any extent into this country. 



I took more interest in the Oxfordshire Downs, a new breed, 

 now recognized by the Royal Agricultural Society as such, 

 started or brought to notice about the year 1833. It wlis orig- 

 inated by a cross between the Cotswold ram and the Hampshire 

 Down ewe, and with careful attention the characteristics of the 

 progeny soon became fixed to such an extent as to compel their 

 recognition as a distinct breed. 



More than sixty entries, presenting a long array of well-filled 

 pens, certainly went far to show that there was some foundation 

 for the claim of the breeders of this class, that they had pro- 

 duced a real " wool and mutton " sheep whicli was up to the 

 demands. of the age. The different flocks were not quite so 

 uniform tliroughout, in size and form, as I should have exjicct- 

 ed to find them Some of them had much darker faces and 



