552 BARNSTABLE SOCIETY. 



Dorsetshire," are among the short-woolled varieties. Although 

 our exposed situation might be favorable to the introduction 

 of the better breeds of sheep — unless extraordinary care were 

 taken in their management — it is obvious that there are con- 

 siderable tracts of our soil that are not unfitted to the purpose 

 of producing the higher grades of wool. And when we con- 

 sider, as we shall presently, how far even the more common 

 varieties of sheep may be improved by culture, it will be suf- 

 ficient for us to know that with proper attention, great ad- 

 vances may be made here in the economy of sheep culture. In 

 the next place we have sufficient quantities of land for the 

 production of the various root crops, which are employed to 

 advantage in winter feeding ; and of these the turnip crop may 

 be ranked as the chief Our most meagre soils, with small 

 labor, will afford large returns of this esculent. In Great 

 Britain immense quantities of turnips are raised on what were 

 formerly denominated fallow lands, and " now land in turnips 

 is considered as fallow." " It is not uncommon to see these 

 fields of three, four, and even of five hundred acres, of this 

 crop. These vegetables are used for the feeding of animals, 

 and to a great extent of sheep. Since the introduction of 

 the culture, bullocks and sheep have trebled in number ;" and 

 the present produce of wool there, may be set down as far 

 above fifty millions of fleeces per annum. There is no reason 

 why these magnificent results may not be reproduced, on a 

 smaller scale, among us. It is not, perhaps, to be expected that 

 here the more costly kinds of wool can be produced from the 

 fancy varieties of sheep, although we apprehend that the South 

 Downs would thrive well upon our soil. We should prefer 

 to recommend the proper and skilful management of our com- 

 mon races. It is undoubtedly true that very much may be 

 done in enhancing the value of these by judicious culture. 



"Naturafists say that the ancestors of the present improved 

 breeds of sheep, were animals vastly different from what they 

 are at present. The Liberian argali, or wild sheep, 'is about 

 the size of the fallow deer, and yet from this unpromising orgin 

 have come the races of sheep found at the present day — and 

 this change has been produced by culture. It is said that fine 

 fleeced sheep have always been most abundant in the immedi- 

 ate neighborhood of civilized manufacturing countries, indicat- 



