44 MODERN SHEEP: BREEDS AND MANAGEMENT. 



best beforehand, and when he was told to go in and pick one he 

 went for her first. She was a perfect sheep, and she bred John 

 Bull, which beat All England, and he was the father of Comet, 

 which took first prize as a shearling at Chester, and also at War- 

 wick as a four-tooth. Kettledrum was another son of John Bull, 

 and took first prize as a shearling at Leeds, and first at Battersea 

 in 1862. 



"Besides these ewes, no others were bought, unless it might 

 be one or two which struck Mr. Humphrey as desirable. One of 

 such bought ewes bred Jack Tar by a ram from John Bull's strain. 

 Such -fresh blood was used with great caution and never directly. 

 Thus Jack Tar was given a few ewes, and their ewe lambs were 

 saved as dams for rams. It was, therefore, only after being well 

 mixed with the blood of the flock that new blood was allowed to 

 permeate it. 



"Every lamb was marked as it fell, and those which showed 

 any breachiness or coarseness were notched at the top of the ear; 

 and no matter how well these lambs turned out, they were castrated 

 and went to the butcher. Every lamb, in fact, which was not let 

 for breeding was fattened off, and no ewes were ever sold. Only 

 good ewes were kept for breeding, and all the rest were sold to 

 butchers. The ewes which were thought good enough for the flock 

 were bred from until they were worn out. One favorite was 

 kept till she was fourteen years old, and her last lamb was Oliver 

 Twist. This ewe had no udder for the last four years of her life, 

 and Oliver Twist was given to another ewe. This ram was first 

 in his class at Leeds and at Battersea. 



"In using sires Mr. Humphrey was very particular. Lambs 

 were used cautiously, by giving each of the best about twenty 

 ewes. If the stock proved satisfactory the ram was used again 

 as a shearling, and in subsequent years, but if not he was sent to 

 the butcher. He always kept back his best lambs from the annual 

 hiring for his own use, and was not a buyer at other people's ram 

 sales; neither did he ever introduce strange blood straight into 

 his flock. 



"Mr. Humphrey died in 1868, and his flock was then dis- 

 persed. Mr .Canning had some ewe lambs, so had Mr. Parker and 

 Mr. Budd. Mr. James Bawlence gave 60gs. for a ram lamb, Mr. 

 William King paid 50 gs. for one, Mr. Ferris 47 gs. for one, Mr. 

 Child 40 gs-. for one. 



"Mr. Rawlence never missed a year having a lamb or two, and 

 Mr. E. Waters the same. 



"Mr. James Eawlence has already been mentioned as an early 

 breeder of Hampshire Downs. It is worthy of note that while 

 Mr. Humphrey commenced upon a foundation of West Country 

 Down ewes, which had, as already explained, originated in South- 

 down crosses made during many previous years, Mr. Kawlence's 



