EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER 34? 



Prior to 1870, the Lincolnshire*, the Shropshire Downs, the Hamp- 

 shire Downs, and the Oxford Downs had been imported to a limited 

 extent, as had also the Cheviots; but none of these appeared to find 

 favor with the Canadian farmers, and but few pure flocks were kept; 

 but when the demand for mutton in Great Britain and the United 

 States was greatly increased, and the lovers of good mutton rejected the 

 great coarse sheep that carried all their fat on the outside and about the 

 kidneys, in favor of a moderate-sized sheep, that had the fat well inter- 

 mixed with the lean all through, the Southdowns, and the crosses from 

 it upon the native sheep, rose in favor among the farmers, and the Cots- 

 wolds and Border Leicesters lost their attraction. Where farmers for- 

 merly bred mainly for heavy fleeces of coarse wool, suitable enough 

 for the making of the coarse clothing and blankets then fashionable, 

 they began about 1880 to cross for mutton, using the Southdown, the 

 Shropshire, and Oxford Down. Since that time many flocks of the 

 best English breeds have been maintained at a very high standard, 

 and have been freely used by the breeders of the United States in the 

 improvement of theiiXflocks. All breeds are grown, and the views of 

 the breeders are far apart as to the most profitable one. 



There is such a close inter-relationship between the sheep husbandry 

 of Canada and that of our northern tier of States, that a communica- 

 tion of Prof. Thomas Shaw, of the Ontario Agricultural College, on the 

 sheep husbandry of Ontario, has much interest. Ontario is the only 

 province of the Dominion of Canada which has gathered official statis- 

 tics for several years past in reference to live stock, consequently it is 

 impossible to give exact figures bearing upon the sheep industry that 

 will apply to the whole Dominion. Ontario is, by far, however, the 

 most important of the sheep-producing provinces. To so great an ex- 

 tent is this the case that it is moi e than probable that Ontario pro- 

 duces more sheep than all the other provinces combined. 



Prof. Shaw, under date of February 8, 1892, in a letter to the writer, 

 says : 



This province has the following pure breeds : Leicester, Lincoln, Cotswold, Oxford, 

 Hampshire, Shropshire, South Down, Suffolk, Dorest Horn and Merino. The Leices- 

 ters far outnumber any of the other breeds, but the dark-faced breeds are gaining 

 ground rapidly. Of these the Shropshires are the most numerous at tbe present 

 time. The dark-faced rams stand high in favor for the production of lambs for mut- 

 ton. The offspring are compact in form, weigh well, produce a class of wool such as 

 is wanted at the present time, and the mutton obtained from them is well intermin- 

 gled with fat and lean. 



The number of sheep kept on the occupied lands of Ontario at the present time is 

 less than 8 head to every 100 acres; there is but little doubt that this number could 

 be nearly doubled without any additional cost for food in the summer season, as from 

 12 to 16 head of sheep on a farm of the size indicated would only act the part of scav- 

 engers by destroying vast numbers of weeds, and consuming herbage in by-places 

 which would otherwise go to waste. 



It was formerly the custom in this province to sell the lambs to the local butchers 

 in the various summer months, or to put them upon the export market in November 



