THE GEKESEE FARMER. 



339 



rapid substitution of the Down for the old Wiltshire 

 may be found in the fact of the large number of 

 <?nclosures of common fields which tiien took place. 

 The sturdy horned wetlier was thoroughly compe- 

 tent to take care of himself when the system of 

 feeding in common prevailed, but when each farmer 

 could keep his flock separate, an animal of superior 

 quality, was preferred." 



In Hampshire, on the other hand, where the same 

 slieep prevailed and were valued for their hardihood, 

 and their powers of travelling far, and folding hard 

 — properties so valuable when the fertility of the 

 liglit soils was mainly kept up by these useful 

 manure-carriers — these sheep were extensively 

 crossed. Previous to the close of the last century, 

 the Southdown sheep had been greatly improved by 

 careful selection, and the name of the late Mr. 

 Ellman was well known for his eminent services 

 in bringing out and improving the latent qualities 

 of this valuable breed. About the beginning of the 

 present century the sheep-breeders of North Hamp- 

 shire began to bestir themselves, and a few enter- 

 prising farmers j^rocured some rams from Sussex, 

 of the Southdown breed. Finding the experiment 

 successful, it was repeated again and again, care 

 being taken to select the largest, coarsest, and 

 ilackest-iaGed rams, which it was thought would 

 suit the coarse slieep with which they had to amal- 

 gamate. How many ci'osses with the pure Sussex 

 were used we cannot ascertain, but enough mate- 

 rially to alter the character of the breed, to cause 

 the horns to disappear, and to change the color of 

 the face from white to black ; and, with these 

 changes, to impart a more compact frame, a broader 

 back, rounder barrel, shorter legs, and superior 

 quality altogether, and yet persevering the hardi- 

 ness and the disposition to make early growth, 

 which the original flock no doubt possessed. 



The Hampshire sheep may, therefore, be instanced 

 as an exami)le of successful crossing, and as a proof 

 of what can be done by the male parent, in changing, 

 in very few generations, the character of the origi- 

 nal, and yet retaining some of itsgood qualities, 

 thus forming a breed more intrinsically valuable 

 than eitlier source from whence it is derived. It 

 was found by Mr. La.wes, in his careful and valua- 

 ble experiments, tliat the Hampshire sheep, although 

 they were surpassed by the Cotswold, yet exceeded 

 the Southdown in the amount of mutton raised 

 from a given weight of food. 



Some thirty years since a Hampshire farmer still 

 living (Mr. John Twtnam) used the improved 

 Cotswold ram with his Hampshire ewes, and the 

 first cross exhibited a remarkable proof of the pre- 

 ponderating eflfect of the male. The produce, in 

 size, general appearance, and wool, partook far 

 more of the ram than of the ewe, and it was thought 

 that a most valuable breed had been obtained, 

 which, with the increased size, and weight of fleece, 

 and disposition to fatten of the Cotswold, would 

 combine the hardiness and folding capabilities of 

 the Hampshire. It was found, however, no easy 

 task to perpetuate such a breed after the first cross 

 — the defects of the one parent or the other would 

 appear and reappear in the second and third genera- 

 tion, and it was only by careful weeding that any- 

 thing like uniformity could be attained. 



Various attempts were made some years since 

 to introduce the Merino blood, with the idea that 



great benefit would be derived from the increased 

 quantity and the superior fineness of the wool ; and 

 undoubtedly, if the carcase ot the Southdown and 

 the wool of the Merino could be united in the same 

 animal, the acm6 of sheep-breeding would be at- 

 tained. It was found, however, that the quality 

 of the wool was not a sufficient recompense for the 

 want of early maturity and feeding properties ; and 

 at length, after many trials, the Merinos disappeared 

 by the continued use of other rams. It is very 

 possible, however, that they may have left behind 

 them some improvement of the fleece, for it is 

 equally difficult in breeding to get rid of a virtue 

 and to wash out a stain. 



There are few districts in England in which some 

 advantage has not been derived from the cross 

 breeding of sheep. Even the little mountain sheep 

 of Wales has been greatly improved by tlse Cheviot 

 ram, a larger, su[)erior, but still a mountain sheep. 

 At the same ,time the Cheviots themselves have 

 been improved for tiie butcher by crosses with the 

 Leicester, the Cotswold, and the Down. The 

 progeny have been increased in size, and fattened 

 more readily. This breed has also been considera- 

 bly improved by selection. 



The testimony in favor of the- advantages to be 

 derived fi-om the cross breeding of sheep when the 

 purpose sought for is limited to the first cross is so 

 strong that, however forcible may be the arguments 

 of the advocates of pure breeding with reference to 

 stock sheep, they sink altogetlier in weight when 

 sheep for the butcher are concerned. 



We think, therefore, we are justified in coming 

 to the following conclusions : 



1st. That there is a direct pecuniary advantage 

 in judicious cross breeding; that increased size, a 

 disposition to fatten, and early maturity are there- 

 by induced. 



2nd. That whilst this may be caused for the most 

 part by the very fact of crossing, yet it is princi- 

 pally due to the superior influence of the male over 

 the size and external appearance of the offspring ; 

 so that it is desirable, for the purposes of the 

 butcher, that the male should be of a larger frame 

 than the female, and should excel in those peculiar- 

 ities we are desirous of reproducing. 



3rd. Although in the crossing of sheep for the 

 purpose of the butcher, it is generally advisable to 

 use males of a larger breed, provided they possess a 

 disposition to fatten, yet, in such cases, it is of im- 

 portance that the pelvis of the female should be 

 wide and capacious, so that no injury should arise 

 in lambing, in consequence of the increased size of 

 the heads of the lambs. The shape of the ram's 

 head should be studied for the same reason. In 

 crossing,however, for the purpose of establishing a 

 new breed, the size of the male must give way to 

 other more important considerations ; although it 

 will still be desirable to use a large female of the 

 breed which we seek to improve. Tiius the South- 

 downs have vastly improved the larger Hampshires, 

 and the Leicester the huge Lincolns and the 

 Cotswold. 



4th. Although the benefits are most evident in 

 the first cross, after which, from pairing the cross- 

 bred animals, the defects of one breed or the other, 

 or the incongruities of both, are perpetually break- 

 ing out, yet, unless the characteristics and confor- 

 mation of the two breeds are altogether averse to 



