HAMPSHIRE DOWNS. 53 



CHAPTER VII. 

 THE IMPROVED HAMPSHIRE DOWNS. 



THE improved Hampshire Down sheep is one of the more 

 recent additions to the agricultural wealth of this country. 

 It was only at the first meeting of the Royal at Salisbury in 

 1857 that Hampshire sheep were awarded classes to them- 

 selves, and some of the earliest improvers of the race are still 

 living notably, Mr. James Rawlence, Mr. William King, of 

 Old Hayward, now ninety years of age, and his brother, Mr. 

 Stephen King. No breed has made more rapid progress, 

 either in absolute improvement or in the wide appreciation 

 in which it is now held, than this. I trust my readers 

 will excuse me if I dwell on this particular race of sheep 

 at somewhat great length. I do this from no wish to 

 give it special prominence, but because I have examined 

 into its early history, and find that there is a good deal of 

 material which has not yet seen the light. David Low 

 lived before the birth of the Hampshire Down, and William 

 Youatt wrote before the breed had been constituted. The 

 late Professor W r ilson wrote on sheep before the Hampshire 

 Downs became prominent, and Mr. Rowlandson only gives 

 them a brief notice. I therefore feel it not only due to 

 the early improvers of the breed, but to the breed itself, to 

 place on record a detailed account of its history, and trust 

 that some of the information I am able to give will prove 

 interesting to breeders. 



