EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 417 



soon as the Hampshire's horns were gone, to which perhaps the Berk- 

 shire Xotts contributed, and the white face had become black, they 

 employed their own cross-bred rams with their cross-bred ewes, and 

 eventually the Sussex or Southdown blood predominated in the Hamp- 

 shire sheep. 



It may be noted here that in Wiltshire a different plan was pursued. 

 Here the same large, flat-sided, uncouth horned sheep, whose ancestors 

 were its denizens in the days of the Roman occupation, roamed over the 

 Wiltshire downs. Their breeders began with the Sussex ewe and crossed 

 with the Hampshire ram, while the Hampshire breeders used the orig- 

 inal horned ewe and the Sussex ram. 



The early improvement of these sheep then, as we have seen, was due 

 to many farmers acting on various lines. Prominent among those of a 

 later day for skill, sagacity, energy, and care, was Mr. William Hum- 

 phrey, of Oak Ash, near Newbury, who was first to perceive the results 

 likely to follow the infusion into the Hampshire Down of the blood of 

 the largest and best fleshed of Jonas Webb's Southdowns. To him, 

 probably, for the care he exercised, the ability he displayed, and time 

 and money expended, is due the present almost perfect animal known 

 as the Improved Hampshire Down. Others followed in the line laid 

 down by Mr. Humphrey, so that greater uniformity was arrived at, a 

 uniformity perhaps unequaled among the flocks of any other Down breed. 



The plan pursued by Mr. Humphrey is known and is full of instruc- 

 tion to the breeder and of interest to all intelligent readers. About 

 1834 or 1835, in forming his flock, he purchased the best Hampshire or 

 W<>st Country Down ewes he could meet with, using the best rams he 

 could get of the same kind until the Oxford show of the Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society. On examining the different breeds exhibited there 

 he found the Cotswolds were beautiful in form and of great size, and 

 on making inquiries as to how they were brought to such perfection, 

 he was informed that a Leicester ram was coupled with some of the 

 largest Cotswold ewes, and the most robust of the produce were 

 selected for use. The thought struck him that his best plan would be 

 to obtain a first-rate Sussex Down sheep to put to his larger Hampshire 

 Down ewes, both being of the short- wooled breed. He thus determined 

 to try an improvement in the quality and form of his flock, still retain- 

 ing the size and hardihood so necessary for the low lands and cold 

 exposed hills of Hampshire. With this object in view he wrote to Mr. 

 Jonas Webb to send him one of his best sheep, and Mr. Webb sent a 

 shearling by his favorite sheep Babraham, which made some good 

 stock out of his larger ewes. He went down the next two years, and 

 selected for himself, but the stock did not suit his taste so well as the 

 one Mr. Webb had sent him, and he did not use them. He then com- 

 missioned Mr. Webb to send him the sheep which obtained the first 

 prize at Liverpool, and from these two sheep, the first and the last, by 

 marking the lambs of each tribe as they were dropped, then coupling 

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