SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 153 



The different varieties of Down sheep are, for us in Massa- 

 chusetts, perhaps the most useful breeds, as their short 

 fleece makes them able to battle with the storms, and their 

 compact forms and early maturing propensities enable them 

 to get a profitable living on our stony hill pastures, where 

 the larger and heavier breeds would find but a scanty sub- 

 sistence. 



Of all the Downs the Southdown is, perhaps, better 

 known than any of the others, and so strong is its blood and 

 breeding, thanks to Messrs. Ellman & Webb, that it stamps 

 its progeny indelibly, no matter what other blood is used ; 

 they are very quiet, and adapt themselves to any sort of 

 treatment or feed. Their lambs mature early, and are so 

 square and plump that they are ready for the butcher Avhen- 

 ever they will dress enough to satisfy the demands of the 

 market. 



The old-fashioned Shropshire was formerly known as the 

 Morse Common sheep, from the fact that Morse Common 

 (600,000 acres) pastured about 10,000 of them. They 

 then had horns, black or spotted face and legs, and were 

 very hardy and prolific, but not clipping heavy fleeces. A 

 Mr. Meire was the first to improve this breed, which he 

 did by using a Leicester ram ; and as the produce became 

 too light in the face and legs, he used a Southdown or some 

 other black-faced ram ; and by in-breeding these he brought 

 the type of sheep to what we now see and know as Shrop- 

 shires, — a fine, square sheep, as handsome and stylish as the 

 Southdown, very nuich larger, with the same early maturing 

 powers, and clipping a fleece of eight or nine pounds of 

 wool. 



The Hampshire Downs owe many of their good qualities 

 to the Southdown, and this breed was made by crossing the 

 Southdown on the old white-faced Hampshire and Wiltshire 

 breeds. Most authorities believe a little Cotswold blood 

 was also used. They have been recognized as a true breed 

 for several years, and are larger than the Shropshire, a little 

 coarser wooled, but as early maturing as any of the Downs, 

 clipping about the same as the Shropshires (8 or 9 pounds). 



This breed, as well as the Shrops, are most useful to breed 

 grades from, as they stamp their get in a very marked way. 



