THE GEITESEE FARMER, 



75 



FLOWERS AND LEAP OP SAINFOIN. 



all soils and situations favorable to its production. 

 Its composition is very similar to that of red clover, 

 and it forms excellent hay, beside affording much 

 wholesome and substantial pasture. Before the in- 

 troduction of turnip-culture, it -was the main-stay 

 of the stock-keeper on the chalk hills of Wiltshire 

 and other parts of England ; and even now its qual- 

 ities as a renovator of the soil are so much esteemed 

 that a clause is inserted in many leases, compelling 

 the tenant to leave a certain quantity of the land 

 seeded with sainfoin. In France, and other Euro- 

 pean countries, it is highly esteemed. It succeeds 

 best on sandy soils abounding in lime. It will not 

 flourish on clays. It may be sown instead of clover, 

 and in the same way, about four bushels of seed 

 Deing required per acre. 



"We annex a cut of the plant, and -should be glad 

 to, hear from any of our readers w^ ' ;'y havo 

 given it a trial. 



THE SHEOPSHIRE-DOWN SHEEP. 



A FEW years ago, the Shropshire-Dowm sheep 

 were comparatively unknown in England. The 

 Royal Agricultural Society, at its last exhibition, 

 offered prizes for the "best short-wooled sheep, 

 not South-Downs," and this offer had the effect of 

 bringing the Shropshire-Downs to the notice of the 

 public. Three of the four prizes offered for rams 

 in this class were taken by Shropshire-Downs ; and 

 they are now not only recognized as a distinct 

 breed, but justly regarded as one of great value. 



The exact origin of this breed is unknown. The 

 common sheep of Shropshire, like those of other 

 parts of England, are of a very mixed character. 

 They have been extensively crossed with the Rye- 

 land, a fine-wooled, small, compact, well-formed 

 sheep, which has existed as a distinct breed from 

 time immemorial, and which appeare to have been 

 indigenous to a tract of sandy land on the borders 

 of Wales celebrated for the growth of rye, and 

 hence the name of the breed. It has been, for 

 some years, the practice of many good farmers in 

 Shropshire, to cross their common breeding sheep 

 alternately with* Leicester and South-Down rams, 

 under the impression that if their flocks partook 

 too largely of either the one or the other of these 

 breeds, they were not so good for breeding pur- 

 poses or for the butcher. As might be expected, 

 sheep bred in this manner, were of very unequal 

 character — some were very inferior, while others, 

 for size and symmetry, were excelled by no breed 

 in the kingdom. By selecting the best ewes, and 

 crossing them continuously with South-Down rams, 

 a flock possessing more distinct characteristics would 

 be soon obtained, which, by judicious breeding for 

 a number of years, would in the end become a fixed 

 breed. That this is the true origin of the Shrop- 

 shire-Downs, we have little doubt. Though of re- 

 cent origin, they possess considerable fixity of char- 

 acter, and are an undoubted hreed — as much so as 

 the Hampshire or New Oxfordshire Downs. 



The Sliropshire-Downs are not so coarse as the 

 Hampshire, and at the same age not quite as large, 

 though considerably larger than the Sussex-Downs. 

 They are hardier than either, and will fatten on 

 poorer food. They will average 20 lbs. per quarter, 

 dressed, at 18 months old, \vhen fed on nothing but 

 turnips and a little straw. We have known a flock 

 of Hampshire-Down wethers to exceed this weight 

 at twelve months old, but they were fed on highly 

 nutritious and expensive food — viz: clover hay, 

 oil-cake, and ruta bagas ; and it is quite probable 

 that, for a "high -pressure" system of feeding, the 

 Hampshire are better than the Shropshire-Downs, 



