82 SHEEP FARMING IN AMERICA 



be fat enough for the butchers when they come from 

 the range, and if they are fed will ripen very early. 

 They attain to large weights. 



The Oxford ram gets a lamb a little larger, prob- 

 ably, than the Hampshire, a strong, hardy fellow, 

 that feeds well. He weighs heavy and makes good, 

 but not so early as the other downs. He shears 

 heavier. 



The Shropshire ram gets fine, active, growthy 

 lambs that mature sooner than the Oxfords and sell 

 first rate. They will often be fat enough for the 

 killers when they leave the range. 



The Southdown gets merry, plump, roly-poly 

 lambs that are fat first of all and are apt to bring 

 most money per pound in the market. They will 

 not weigh quite so much as the Shropshire grades, 

 but will be ripe earlier. The grand champion load 

 of range lambs at the International at Chicago in 

 1906 was a load of Southdown cross-breed lambs. 

 The western flockmaster need not fear to use South- 

 down rams if he means to sell the lambs. They will 

 make good and that very early. 



The Dorset gets lambs that weigh unusually well 

 and the ewe lambs should always be saved to be put 

 in the flock, since Dorset blood in the ewe flock is a 

 gold mine to the flock owner. 



At the International Live Stock Exposition in 

 1910 were exhibited the first carlots of grade Dorset 

 lambs ever shown in America. One lot coming from 

 New York, out of grade ewes, was of great beauty 

 and weighed quite 8 pounds per head heavier than 



