400 



SHEEP 



farmer for weight. In 1860 Lawrence Smith of Massachusetts 

 stated that his flock of store and breeding ewes usually sheared 

 from 5 to 7 pounds, with his rams' fleeces sometimes weighing 

 10 pounds. Thirty years later an Ohio breeder wrote that his 

 Oxford Down flock sheared an average that year of 1 1 pounds 

 14 ounces per head. In the Iowa breed test the Oxford wether 

 lambs in one trial sheared 1 1 pounds and in another 8 pounds, 

 the fleeces bringing $1.44 and $1.16 respectively, materially 

 excelling all other middle-wool breeds. A high-class Oxford 

 Down flock should shear a fleece averaging close to twelve 

 pounds unwashed wool. 



The prolific quality of the Oxford Down has long caused favor- 

 able comment among the breeders of this class. Twins are fairly 



FIG. 184. Oxfords on pasture on the farm of George Adams, Faringdon, 

 England. Photograph by the author 



frequent and the ewes usually make good mothers and furnish 

 ample milk to the lambs. The ewes, however, probably do not 

 rank with the Shropshire in producing twins. 



The distribution of the Oxford Down is very widespread. 

 Originally confined to Oxfordshire, it is now found in about a 

 score of counties in England, as well as in Scotland, Wales, and 

 Ireland. So great has the breed grown in favor in recent years 

 that it has become very widely distributed, flocks now existing 

 in Germany, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, Brazil, Argen- 

 tina, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, and 

 elsewhere. While the Oxford is not suited to range conditions, 

 it nevertheless seems to thrive under a variety of soil and cli- 

 mate, though it is best suited to the more level or slightly rolling 



