444 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The average age of the pen of three ewes in 1870 was 57 J months; 

 that of three ewes in 1871 was Cl months. 



The weight of wool for a whole flock will average about 7 pounds 

 per sheep ; rams have been known to cut as much as 20 pounds when 

 shearlings. The Oxfordshire sheep seem to be particularly adapted 

 for mixed soils and bear close confinement. They are a healthy 

 class of sheep, and their management closely approaches that prac- 

 ticed in Hampshire and Wiltshire, w r here the attention to ewes and 

 lambs has become proverbial early maturity (i. e., 20 pounds a 

 quarter at a year old) requiring great attention during the young 

 stage. 



The stock ewes are generally divided in August, and rams selected 

 to suit each lot; they run over the stubbles and are penned on rape or 

 cabbage at night. They then clean up the pastures till Christmas, 

 having bean or pea straw at night. It is considered unwise to give 

 them many turnips before yeaning. They are then brought into the 

 fold-yard for lambing, and are fed on hay, cotton cake, and a few 

 roots, and remain so till the lambs are sufficiently strong to go into 

 the turnip field. They will be found very good mothers, being strong 

 and prolific, producing a considerable proportion of twins. This, how- 

 ever, depends much upon the nature of the land. The lambs when 

 taken in the field have a fold in front of their mothers, where they 

 are supplied with hay, corn, and, as the case may be, cut swedes, or 

 crop off the greens; the ewes with twins are also given corn. The 

 lambs are usually weaned when about 22 weeks old. The plan most 

 recently adopted is to have the fold thoroughly well set, and allow 

 them to remain in front of the ewes. After a few days they will 

 become quite reconciled.* 



The characteristics of a good type of Oxfordshire Downs are: A nice 

 dark drab color of the face and legs; the head medium large, and well 

 covered with wool with a tuft or topknot on the forehead, the tuft not 

 so long as that of the Cotswold, but standing out more from the head ; 

 the forehead broad and full; ears set low and well back; eyes large, 

 and muzzle finely pointed. The fleece of wool is thick on the skin but 

 not so long as that of the Cotswold, being about 5 to 7 inches; finer 

 than that of the Cotswold, curly, and standing well out from the body. 



One of the finest specimens of this breed was the ram Freeland,bred 

 by Mr. A. F. M. Druce in 1874. He took all the chief prizes wherever 

 shown in 1875, and was afterwards let for the season. In 1876 he was 

 let to T. S. Cooper, of Coopersburg, Pa., for $425. He weighed 425 

 pounds when exhibited at Philadelphia at the International Exhibi- 

 tion of 1876, where he gained the honor against all breeds, and received 

 the commendation of the judges "for excellence in quality, uniformity 

 of symmetry, great constitutional development, and for being a very 

 superior specimen of the breed to which it belongs." 



*Oxfordshire Do\vn Slieep. By A. F. M. Druce and C. HoLLs. 



