10 ESSEX SOCIETY. 



Sheep. 



The committee on sheep, (being all present except Mr. 

 Kent, and his place being supplied by S. H. Greene, of Ips- 

 wich,) proceeded to examine the only specimens offered. 

 These were but two, and were owned by Doctor Joseph Kit- 

 tredge, and Jacob Farnum, both of Andover. The lot of Dr. 

 Kittredge consisted of four pure blood South Downs, and 

 three others of a large variety of long-wooUed sheep. They 

 were all young, and were a part of a flock of twenty. 



A noble animal of the Leicester breed, was noticed in the 

 pen, by one of the committee, after the official examination, 

 which, of course, the report cannot further notice, especially 

 as no description was furnished by the owner. 



The committee award the first premium, of six dollars, to 

 Dr. Joseph Kittredge. . 



The other lot was owned by Jacob Farnum, and consisted 

 of twelve in number, a part being lambs, but intended to be 

 kept for breeding The sixteen lambs were very handsome. 



The committee award to Mr. Farnum the second premium, 

 of five dollars. 



In coming to the above result, the committee have not lost 

 sight of the principle that premiums shall not be awarded as 

 matter of course. It would have been fully within our pro- 

 vince, we believe, to have reported that either or both have 

 been unworthy of a premium, if such had been the fact. Such, 

 however, is not the fact. The sheep of Dr. Kittredge, and the 

 lambs, or young sheep, as they may be called, of Mr. Farnum, 

 are of good quality, and both gentlemen are evidently disposed 

 still further to improve their own sheep, and afford the facility 

 for enabling others to improve theirs. 



Whatever may be said of sheep raising i'ii the hands of 

 other people, it cannot be an unprofitable business with Dr. 

 Kittredge, even in Essex county, where it receives, compara- 

 tively, so little attention. One of his sheep had her second 

 lamb of this season with her in the pen, the first having been 

 sold to the butcher for five dollars. In short, the quality of the 

 Doctor's flock is such that he was offered $3 75 each for seven- 

 teen of his lambs ; ^5 00 each for four of them, and $4 00 

 for ten. 



