SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 169 



during that time I have had but one visitation from dogs, 

 although that was the only flock of sheep within five or six 

 miles. They were always hurdled from before dusk until 

 after sunrise, and the only time they were attacked by dogs 

 was in the middle of the day, when they at once ran to 

 their open hurdle, which was quite small, and when once in 

 a compact body in the hurdle the dogs did not molest them. 

 Only one or two lambs were left out, and they were killed. 



The main thing I wished to say was in regard to the 

 breeds of sheep. Although we have our favorites, of course, 

 and there are advocates of all the various breeds, when it 

 comes to a public test, they turn out very nearly equal in 

 the country at large. Probably the best actual test or com- 

 petition between the breeds is at the fat stock show at 

 Chicago. 



I have watched for two years to see if there was any uni- 

 formity in the awards of prizes for the best animals in the 

 sheep department, either alive or dressed, and I observed 

 that the sweepstakes for the best fat wether was awarded 

 last year to an Oxford Down ; that the next prize went to a 

 Cotswold, and the third to a Southdown ; but when it came 

 to the carcass prizes, neither of those three took the first 

 prize, but it went to a Shropshire. Although a Southdown 

 also took a premium for the best carcass, — the largest per- 

 centage of edible meat, — that was the only case in which a 

 breed which had been awarded a prize alive was given a 

 premium after dressing. This year the first premium for 

 fat sheep went to a Hampshire Down. That animal, how- 

 ever, was not noticed in the carcass class, but the prize for 

 the best carcass went to a Southdown. Comparing these 

 two years with the record for several years before, I find 

 that the prizes were about equally distributed, which indi- 

 cates that the breeds of the most careful breeders and feeders 

 work just about alike in taking on. 



The Chairman. I have understood that they keep sheep 

 in Franklin County. There is more than one man here from 

 that county. We have not yet lieard from Mr. Grinnell. 

 It strikes me that he knows almost as much about sheep as 

 the Secretary does. 



Mr. Grinnell. The little I know about sheep I have 



