IO4 SHEEP : BREEDS AND MANAGEMENT. 



The difference in feature, form, and fleece, habits and 

 aptitudes, among breeds is an interesting study if nothing 

 more. Judges, no doubt, attach weight to these matters 

 when acting at shows, and do not give a prize to any sheep 

 which is not distinctly a characteristic specimen of its breed, 

 It is certain that a " Southdown man " cannot properly judge 

 Hampshire sheep, or a " Hampshire Down man " Southdown 

 sheep ; and hence we may conclude that it is somewhat 

 unfortunate that any judge should be called upon to decide 

 between animals of more than one breed. Single-handed 

 judging is in my opinion a better arrangement, for when 

 two men, one a well-known Shropshire breeder, for example, 

 and the other an Oxford Down breeder, are judging these 

 two breeds, the advantage of two heads is lost. The Oxford 

 breeder would be disposed to follow his colleague in the 

 Shropshire classes, and vice versa. If not, he will lean 

 towards the particular type which he has always studied, 

 and believes to represent perfection. The consequence may 

 be that an animal is decorated which, however excellent, 

 is not a characteristic sheep of his own particular breed. A 

 student of live stock naturally asks himself what are the 

 differences between two breeds which resemble each other 

 so closely that the catalogue must be consulted before he 

 can be certain as to where one class ends and the other 

 begins. Many breeds are very similar, and others are chiefly 

 to be recognised by the style of trimming, shaving, or colour- 

 ing in which they appear in a showyard. Still there are, 

 differences which reveal themselves to closer observation 

 and which require to be pointed out. As an example of such 

 difference let us take, in the first place 



OXFORDS AND SHROPSHIRES. 



Breeders might well say that these two breeds are dis- 

 tinctly different from each other, but a novice might find it 

 exceedingly difficult to express what these differences are. 



