554 SHEEP 



since any mention of the Shropshire Down sheep raised an in- 

 quiry, even among intellectual agriculturists, as to their character, 

 and few, comparatively speaking, knew anything of them." Tan- 

 ner, however, refers to the rapid rise in popularity of the breed 

 and states that at the time of writing Shropshires " stand high 

 as general favorites, and are rapidly extending throughout this 

 and foreign countries." In 1859, in an interesting essay on cross- 

 breeding, 1 W. C. Spooner discusses the origin of various British 

 breeds, in which he quotes J. Meire, with the following statement 

 to a farmers' club in Shropshire : 



It is not attempted to be denied that the Shropshire is a cross-bred sheep ; 

 the original breed was horned, and the first attempt at improvement was to 

 get rid of these incumbrances, and there is little doubt that this was effected 

 by a cross of the Southdown. This sheep was well adapted for the Downs, 

 but for the enclosures of Shropshire something more docile was required, 

 consequently recourse was had to the Leicester. 



Spooner states that this crossing and recrossing was followed by 

 careful selection, until at the time of his writing (1859) "no 

 further cross is required." 



Two early prominent improvers of the Shropshire are said to 

 have been Samuel Meire of Berrington and later of Harley, near 

 Shrewsbury, and George Adney of Harley. Meire sought to remove 

 the Shropshire coarseness and horns and to improve the levelness 

 of back and spring of rib, the obliqueness of shoulder, and the 

 breadth and fullness of rump. He purchased or hired Southdown 

 rams from John Ellman of Glynde and used them in his flock. 

 He also used Leicester blood, with the purpose of getting better 

 feeders and animals of shorter body. After securing his type he 

 practiced the selection necessary to establish his improvement. 

 Adney did not cross extensively, but a ram named Buckskin used 

 in his flock, with Southdown blood in his veins, produced superior 

 sheep, one of which, the ewe Old Patentee, was a famous dam 

 and prize winner whose blood is prominent in the best early Shrop- 

 shire pedigrees. Many of the best flocks of to-day trace to those 

 of Meire and Adney. Other prominent breeders and improvers 

 were G. M. Kettle of Dallicott, Henry Smith of Shiffnal, Green of 



1 Journal of Royal Agricultural Society of England \ Vol. XX (1859), p. 294. 



