88 MODERN SHEEP : BREEDS AND MAN AGEMENT. 



There seems to be a difference of opinion as regards the color 

 of the face and legs. White seems to be most generally fancied 

 among showmen. White faces and legs are not fancied so much 

 among some of the western lamb-breeders as will be seen by the fol- 

 lowing extracts from an answer to an inquiry addressed to Manager 

 F. J. Hagenbarth of the Wood Live Stock Company, of Idaho, 

 which reads: "We prefer the heavy boned type, broad chested, 

 with a tendency to brown noses and legs. The pure white-faced 

 and legged variety seem to be a little tender. ' We find that plenty 

 of lung and chest room is essential to a good Cotswold. The 

 Hampshire seems to take more kindly to this climate when im- 

 ported from the east or England than does the Cotswold ; the latter 

 breed seems to be seriously set back the first year. However, the 

 increase from the Cotswolds seem to take kindly to our climate 

 and develop into strong, rugged sheep." 



This is a plain, unvarnished opinion of one of the world's 

 greatest sheep-breeders and lamb-feeders and should be received 

 with gratefulness by those interested in the breed, since it shows 

 that although the Cotswold does not become acclimated so readily 

 us the Hampshire, it ultimately proves itself a winner. There is no 

 doubt as to the Cotswolds merits for crossing on w r estern ewes; 

 the demand for rams last year by western breeders who had tried 

 them is ample proof of this, and the fact that Mr. Hagenbarth still 

 pins his faith to the breed is sufficient corroboration that with their 

 drawbacks they have merits which offset anything that may be 

 brought against them. Sometime ago a flock of this breed was 

 shipped to Kodiak Island, Alaska. 



The Cotswolds are very prolific, deep milkers and good mothers 

 and fatten very readily. 



On October 4, 1861, a bunch of Cotswolds were weighed and 

 turned into a field of rape, which, on the llth of November, when 

 they were reweighed, showed a gain of 88 Ibs. This speaks volumes 

 for the Cotswold and for rape as fattening food for sheep. 



While not liked so well by butchers as the Downs, generally, 

 they find great favor among butchers in their own districts. 



An ideal Cotswold is described as follows by Mr. W. S. 

 Harmer, an English fancier: "The head should be wide between 

 the eyes, and the eye itself, full, dark and prominent, but mild and 

 kindly, and in no way coarse about the brow ; the face should be 

 proportionately wide to the space between the eyes, but not too 

 flat, and should run off much the same width to the nostrils, which 

 must be well expanded and somewhat broader than the face, with 

 the skin on the nose of a dark color ; the cheek is full, and, as is the 

 face, well covered with white hair, a just perceptible blue tinge on 

 the cheek and round the eye being rather fanciedj the ear, long, 

 but not heavy, of medium thickness, and covered with the same 

 short soft hair, should be well carried up, while black spots on the 



