362 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



gentleman to whom our society, for his pecuniary liberality, is 

 under many obligations, for the benefit of his suggestions, and 

 examples, far more. After very particular and extensive obser- 

 vation of different breeds and different flocks of the same 

 breed, Mr. Fay selected these as, in his opinion, the best 

 English sheep to send to his farm in Essex County, both for 

 profit and improvement. These sheep have been by him 

 named " Oxfordshire Downs." They are cross bred between 

 the Cotswold and pure South Down, inheriting from the former 

 a carcass exceeding in weight that of the South Down from 

 one-fifth to one-quarter, a fleece the fibre of which is some- 

 what coarser and stronger, it is true, but weightier than the 

 South Down by one-third to one-half; from the latter the 

 rotundity of form and fulness of muscle in the more valuable 

 parts, with the brown face and leg, so that they may not be 

 very inaptly termed South Downs enlarged and improved. 

 We should suppose that the live weight of either of Mr. Fay's 

 imported bucks would exceed two hundred pounds. The ewes 

 are larger than pure South Down ewes in like proportion. 

 "We recommend to those farmers of the county who are inter- 

 ested in sheep-breeding to look at these sheep. The sight 

 will well repay the expense of a visit from any part of the 

 Commonwealth. 



With these various and abundant materials for improvement 

 within our reach, and with the certainty that the raising of 

 sheep, even unimproved, is profitable, we must be blind to our 

 interests not to take advantage of the opportunities within our 

 reach. Hundreds of acres of pasture land in the county 

 partially worn out, and full of shrubs which the cattle reject, 

 may be improved by stocking with sheep. At the same time 

 the animals themselves will probably pay a better profit than 

 any other farm stock. 



There are two ojections sometimes urged against the breed- 

 ing of these useful animals. One is the risk of loss from dogs. 

 We have not time to go into a dissertation on dogs. Those 

 only arc valuable which remain at home. From such, properly 

 restrained, there i3 little danger. Roving dogs arc dangerous 

 and without value. To kill all such is doing injury to nobody, 

 but rendering their owners and the public a positive service. 



