OVIS ARIES. 



The principal varieties of sheep are the large Lincolnshire, 

 the Dorset breed, the Southdown, the Cheviot, and the Merino. 



The Lincolnshire sheep are of a large size, big-boned, and 

 afford a great quantity of wool, owing to the rich marshes on 

 which they feed; but their flesh is coarser, leaner, and less 

 finely flavored than that of the smaller breeds. 



The Dorset sheep are mostly white-faced, their horns are 

 finely curved, their fleece clear and white, but many of them 

 are without wool upon their bellies ; their legs are long and 

 small, and their general form handsome and well propor- 

 tioned. This breed is prolific, and is principally esteemed 

 for producing lambs at an earlier period than other varieties. 

 Great numbers of these premature victims to luxury are year- 

 ly sent to market. The manner of rearing these lambs is 

 curious ; they are imprisoned in little dark cabins, the ewes 

 are fed on oil-cakes, hay, corn, turnips, or cabbages, which 

 are given them in a field contiguous to the apartments 

 where the lambs are kept, and at proper intervals the nurses 

 are brought to give suck to their young ones, while the at- 

 tendants at the same time make their lodgings perfectly clean, 

 and litter them with fresh straw. Great attention is paid to 

 this, as much of the success of rearing these ^unseasonable 

 productions depends upon warmth and cleanliness. 



The Southdown sheep have dun or black faces, and are 

 of the same hardy nature as the Cheviot breed, being able to 

 live and thrive on the barest hills. Their wool is fine, and 

 their mutton well flavored. They have of late years, in conse- 

 quence of these valuable qualities, proved more advantageous 

 than some of the existing breeds. 



The Cheviot breed have no horns, and are mostly white- 

 faced and white-legged ; the body is long, with fine, clean, 

 small-boned legs. The mutton is highly esteemed for its 

 flavor. They are valuable as mountain sheep, on account of 

 their hardiness and the superior value of their wool. 



The Merino sheep are a celebrated breed. Their excel- 

 lence consists in the fineness and felting quality of their wool, 

 and the weight yielded by each sheep, the ease with which 

 they adapt themselves to the climate, the readiness with 

 which they take to the coarsest food, their gentleness and 

 tractableness. Their defects are unprofitable and unthrifty 

 form, voracity of appetite, a tendency to barrenness, neglect 

 of their young, and inferior flavor of the mutton. 



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