48 SHEEP FARMING IN AMERICA 



of cross-bred Southdown lambs from the range 

 country was shown at the International Live Stock 

 Exposition so wonderfully good that it is doubtful 

 whether a better was seen. They weighed 79 pounds 

 and won the championship in competition with cross- 

 bred lambs from Shropshire, Hampshire and other 

 mutton-bred sires. To my eye these lambs were 

 easily the best shown that year and demonstrated 

 that if rangemen would test Southdown rams, send- 

 ing all the lambs to market, they would find no cause 

 of complaint in the results. 



SHROPSHIBES. 



Farther to the north in England originated the 

 Shropshire sheep. Not unlike many pastures of our 

 country are those about Shrewsbury, affording 

 strong grass, based upon limestone and clay loams. 

 The Shropshire had its origin in a mingling of the 

 bloods of native black or brown-faced and horned 

 sheep called from its habitat the "Morfe Common 

 sheep. " They were small and bore light fleeces of 

 not more than 2 pounds. Infusion of Leicester, 

 Cotswold and Southdown blood worked a great 

 change, practically obliterating the blood of the 

 earlier parents and bringing at first great diversity 

 of type. Careful selection toward a pretty well de- 

 fined ideal had by 1853 resulted in fixing a type and 

 it was then advised that the Royal Agricultural So- 

 ciety recognize them as a distinct breed. Since that 

 time they have gone steadily forward in improve- 

 ment and this is especially notable in recent years, 



