Shropshire Sheep. 435 



Jupiter." We are told that many Southdown rams 

 have gone into the county, and the modern men are 

 said to have been to Mr. Rigden on the same sound 

 mission, to keep up their quality. We have also heard 

 of them purchasing Hampshire Down as well as Ox- 

 fordshire Down rams. Still many of the best flock- 

 masters deny that they use them, and there it must 

 rest. They can take their honest stand on the fact, 

 which no one can gainsay, that as regards breeding 

 and folding, liberal fleece, and power of thriving on 

 damp lowlands no sheep pay more per acre than the 

 " Shrops." The sort were once more park-ranging, 

 and difficult to fence against. The rams of the 

 speckle-faced breed of the country had large horns, 

 and the wethers of the sort were stubborn in coming 

 to maturity, and best for " mutton-eating kings " at 

 three. The long-necked and narrow-sided speckle- 

 faces were more confined to the limestone districts ; 

 while those on the gritstone bore much more re- 

 semblance in look and height to a Leicester, but 

 with very inferior wool. Some breeders are rather 

 fond of forcing the lambs, and putting them to the 

 ram about a month behind the rest of the flock. 

 The result is to open the milk veins to such an extent 

 that they will nurse two lambs better after their second 

 yeaning ; but the loss of size and of life as well, when 

 the lambs happen to fall large, does away very much 

 with the profit. 



" The Shrops " have spread very generally over 

 Warwickshire, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire, and 

 many of the rams have found their way to Leicester- 

 shire, Essex, Cornwall, and Wales, and draft ewes to 



losing all his Herefords with pleuro-pneumonia. He had attended Mr. 

 Ellman's sales in Sussex, and saw how the Southdowns had been 

 managed, and felt sure that he could produce a more valuable animal. 

 The first auction of his rams was held in the Raven and Bell, and 

 proved successful, then at the New Smithfield, and afterwards at 

 Berrington. 



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