THE GENESEE FAEMER. [| |^ 



referring to the Journal of the Boyal Agricultural Society of England, ■where the experiments are 

 fully giyen, for further particulars. 



Tlie Sussex Breed. — This breed, which was brought to such perfection by the celebrated Ellmax, 

 has its origin in the county of Sussex, on the eoutheast coast of England. It is one of the smallest 

 breeds ; has a short and very compact wool ; the quality of its meat is excellent, commanding the 

 highest price in the London market. It is capable of traveling a long distance for its food, and 

 thrives upon downs and scanty pastures, where large sheep would starve. These properties make 

 the Sussex sheep vahiable upon large, open tracts of down. 



The JIanipshire Down. — This breed, which derives its name from the county -of Hampsliire, sit- 

 uated in the southwest of England, is a short-wooled sheep, resembling the Sussex, but very much 

 hargpr and coarser in appearance. The head is especially large and ugly, and the whole animal 

 possesses none of the neatness and symmetry belonging to the Sussex sheep. In point of quality, the 

 meat is slightly inferior to the Sussex sheep, and in the London market boars rather a lower price. 

 Among farmers, the Hampshire sheep have more advocates than the Sussex — the remark generally 

 made being, The Hampshires give more mutton and wool. Leaving out all estimate of the differ- 

 ence in the food consumed, there can be no doubt that the Hampshire sheep, from his superior size, 

 is worth, in the market, a larger sum than the Sussex. 



Leicester. — This celebrated breed of sheep is most extensively kept throughout the midland 

 counties of England. It is a small sheep, producing a large quantity of long wool, and possessing 

 great aptitude to fatten when supplied with abundance of good food. 



Cotswold, or Gloucester. — This is one of the largest breeds of sheep. It has its origin in the county 

 of Gloucester. The wool is very long and of good quality, and although the quality of the mutton 

 is not considered first rate, it fattens very rapidly, and has been called, with some degree of truth, 

 the "poor man's sheep," as the mutton can be sold at a low price. 



There are several other breeds of sheep which, for various reasons, have not been placed under 

 experiment. It was,however, thought advisable to try a set of experiments upon one of the most 

 celebrated cross breeds — namely, the cross between the South Down and Leicester. This cross, 

 which is generally attained by placing a Leicester ram with a Sussex ewe, is supposed to combine 

 the advantages of both breeds. The use of this cross is greatly on the increase at the present time 

 in England. All the lambs are usually fatted, as it is found that the half-bred ewe will not produce 

 a progeny of equal value with the first cross. 



With these brief remarks I will now proceed to state the mode in which the experiments were 

 conducted. Letters were written to breeders of eminence, (those being generally selected who had 

 obtained prizes for their sheep,) requesting them to select 60 wether sheep, born the same year, and 

 representing fairly the breed required for the purpose of experiment. Ko limit was set upon price. 

 The sheep were sent, about the month of September, to the farm, and they were kept there upon 

 ordinary food untij the middle of November. At this period the sheep were about nine months 

 old, having been lambed about the February preceding. The experiment was conducted in a long 

 shed, capable hi holding 150 sheep. The sheep stood upon rafters or small planks about 2^ inches 

 in width, having a space about one inch between each to permit the excrements to fall through. 

 Each sheep was weighed separately at the commencement of the experiment, and again at the end 

 of every four weeks. At the end of five or six months, the sheep being fat, one-half of each lot 

 was sent to the London market alive, and the other half wore killed at home, and the carcasses 

 sent to the London market. By this method the live and dead weight of the several breeds were 

 known, and many important particulars ascertained. The food of the sheep was oilcake, clover hay, 

 and Sweedish turnips. The first two foods were given in limited quantities, being one pound doily 

 of each to the large breeds, and a proportionate quantity to the small breed. The Sweedish turnips 

 were cut by a machine and weighed ; the sheep were permitted to eat as many as they pleased, 

 the residue being weighed off daily. The relative size of the different breeds may be known by 

 the following table : 



TABLE I — Giving atebaqb WEiGirr of Sheep at begdjiono or Expeeimknt. 



H/t. <m. 



Cotswold, 119 13 



Hampshire, 113 T 



I^eicester, 101 



llalf-brecd wotherB, 95 



<lo. owes, 91 



Sussex, 83 



-S 



