32 MODERN SHEEP: BREEDS AND MANAGEMENT. 



at this sale made an average of .33 8s 8d; 101 shearling ewes made an average of 

 8 15s lOd; 43 two-shear ewes made an average of 17 7s 6d; 205 young stock 

 ewes, 5 7s 6d; 143 ewe lambs, 3 17s 2d, and 101 ram lambs, 10 4s 6d. 



The year 1902 recorded no record prices. The dispersion sale of Mrs. Barr's in 

 this year was one of the notable events of that year and the dispersion sale of Mr. 

 Harry Williams' flock was another notable event. It may not be out of place to 

 mention that at Australia's leading show the champion ewe sold at 60 guineas. 



In 1903 a Shropshire ram sold at the Melbourne, Australia, sale for 195 guineas. 



In 1904 an important event was the selling of the Mansell Memorial Cup Winner 

 for 185 guineas to Mr. Alfred Tanner, and the first prize shearling ram at the Park 

 Royal, bred by Mr. E. Nock, to Sir R. P. Cooper for 140 guineas. 



1905 At the Royal Show all the animals entered into the selling class are to be 

 sold with a reserve of 15 guineas. These sales have proved a great success, as the 

 following results show: Sir R. P. Cooper's "Royal Eclipse" sold to Mr. P. L. Mills 

 for 90 guineas; the ram, "Holker Premier," bred by the same breeder, sold to Hon. 

 Victor Cavendish for 82 guineas. At the same sale Sir R. P. Cooper sold ten rams 

 at an average of 52 each. Mr. M. Williams' "Dunsmore Whiston King" sold to 

 Sir P. A. Muntz for 150 guineas, and Mr. T. Fenn's "Countersign" sold to Mr. F. 

 Bibby for 100 guineas. 



At the 1906 sales, Mr. P. L. Mills' ewes sold as high as 16 guineas each. 

 At Mr. John Harding's dispersion sale of the same year, the highest priced ram sold 

 was "Crested Wave," which sold at 90 guineas; thirty-four rams averaged 23 Is 6d; 

 75 shearling ewes, 7 14s 7d, and 74 ram lambs made an average of 6 Is 7d, the 

 highest prided being 16 guineas. All the ewe lambs went to Tasmania. In the 

 selling class at the Royal Show of this year (1906), Sir R. P. Cooper sold a shearling 

 ram for New Zealand at 115 guineas, and Mr. B. H. Mander a ram lamb for 42 

 guineas. At Mr. P. L. Mills' dispersion sale the highest priced shearling ram sold 

 for 75 guineas and the highest priced shearling ewe for 16 guineas. 



"Montford Dreamer," 7622, bred by Mr. T. S. Minton, and purchased by Mr. 

 Mansell in 1893 for 175 guineas. The pedigree of this ram is as follows and shows the 

 value of close breeding in certain cases: Sire, "Marquis of Meale," 4072; dam by 

 "Blue Blood," 1360, the sire of "Blue Blood Yet," the champion of America. The 

 record of this ram as a sire is most remarkable. In three years Mr. Mansell has taken 

 four prizes at the Royal in the shearling ram class with sons of this ram, and besides 

 this, at the Royal in 1895, the first prize ram lambs were by him; in 1896 three of 

 the first prize shearling rams and two of the second prize ram lambs were by him, 

 and in 1897, besides the first prize and champion Royal winner being by him, two 

 out of the second prize pen of shearling rams and one of the second prize ram lambs 

 were by "Montford Dreamer." 



Writing the author regarding the famous ram, "The Rector," Shepherd Dan 

 Taylor said: "I am the one that was in charge of his mother when he was born, 

 and fed him at Captain Townsend's place in Warwickshire, England, until he was 

 sold. He was sired by a ram that Captain Townsend bought at Mr. Evans' sale 

 for 100 guineas and he got more prize-winning stock than any other Shropshire ram 

 I know of. He was no doubt the making of the Bradburne Brothers' fame. When 

 I led him into the ring at Bingley Hall, Birmingham, bids were flying all around the 

 ring. The Bradburnes said, 'Forty guineas!' and the bids kept going along slowly 

 until Bradburne Bros, said, 'Seventy-five guineas.' After they had bought him this 

 firm said: 'If he went up to 500 guineas it would have been just the same; we 

 would have got him.' " 



Among the most noted Shropshire sires must be mentioned: "Conservative," 435, 

 used in the flock of the late Mr. Thomas Mansell with great success. "Conserva- 

 tive," was the sire of no less than five Royal winners. "Blue Blood," 1360, 

 used in several of the best flocks and the sire of "Blue Blood Yet," champion 

 ram at the World's Fair; "Nonpareil," 908, the sire of three Royal winners 

 in one class, at Bury St. Edmunds, 1867; "Marquis of Bath, 822, the sire of 

 "Lord Carlisle," winner of first at the Royal; also "Montford Hero," 160, winner of 

 first at the Royal on two occasions, and several other valuable rams; "Fair Star," 



