410 



SHEEP 



some ewes and lambs exhibited in 1885 at the American Fat 

 Stock Show at Chicago by E. and A. Stanford of Steying, 

 England. The first owned in this country were purchased in 

 March, 1887, by William Daley of Lockport, New York, from 

 Valancey E. Fuller of Canada. In May, 1887, E. F. Bowditch 

 of Framingham, Massachusetts, made an importation, he being a 

 specialist in early-lamb raising. The following month of June 

 Adin Thayer, of Hoosic Falls, New York, imported 12 head. 

 This same year, 1887, Woodward & Jaques of Lockport, New 

 York, and R. J. Buck of Bridget on, New Jersey, made importa- 

 tions, and the following year, in July, Rutherford Stuyvesant of 

 New Jersey imported 2 rams and 28 ewes from the English 

 flocks of John and William Kinder. In September, 1889, Mr. T. 

 S. Cooper of Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, imported 153 head, 

 mostly from the flock of Thomas Mayo, and again in 1 891 brought 

 over 204 more head. The sheep imported by Mr. Cooper were 

 very superior and were sold and distributed among numerous 

 breeders, especially in the east. 



Characteristics of the Dorset sheep. Both males and females 

 have horns, those on the male curving backward and around 

 spirally, while those on the ewes curve outward, down, and 

 forward, with tips rising about level with the eye, perhaps turn- 

 ing in slightly. The face, legs, and hoofs are white. The nostrils 

 are also white, face strong, with considerable breadth between 

 the eyes. Compared with the ideal mutton sheep the neck and 

 body tend to be long and r^ngy, and there is hardly the spring 

 of rib and levelness of back most desirable. The head should 

 have a short foretop of wool, the back part of the head below 

 the ear should be wooled, and the body generally be well covered 

 with a fine fleece, extending down to knees and hocks. 



The size of the Dorset is from medium to heavy among the 

 middle-wool breeds. Mature rams in fair flesh should weigh 

 about 225 pounds and ewes 165 pounds. In some cases, how- 

 ever, much larger weights are secured. Mr. T. S. Cooper 

 selected a large type in his importations. One two-year-old 

 ram attained a weight of 317 pounds and a yearling 287 pounds, 

 while ram lambs weighed 184 and 164 pounds at five months one 

 week old. These were mostly first -prize winners. Three first-prize 



