516 THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. BOOK iv 



Cross-breeding. Mr. William Robinson, Willington, Bedford, has 

 favoured us with the results of his more than thirty years' experience 

 in the cross-breeding of sheep, he having commenced as long ago as 

 1860. He began by crossing a Lincoln ram with Leicester ewes, 

 crossing their female produce with a Hampshire ram three times- He 

 next used a Cotswold ram twice, returning to Hampshire Down after a 

 vear or two. He then tried Oxford Down rams, and afterwards again 

 used Hampshires, returning, however, to Oxfords, which he has used 

 for the last few years, but went back to the Hampshires in 1891, with 

 the object of getting more lean meat and less wool. A trial made with 

 a Shropshire ram upon half-bred ewes did not prove successful. 



On account of the demand at the local markets for sheep with black 

 faces and legs, and also of the low price of wool, Mr. Robinson has 

 found that, during the last few years, the Hampshire and Oxford has 

 proved the most successful cross. As to the effect on the mutton and 

 wool, the cross from the Leicester-Lincoln ewes and the Hampshire 

 ram did not lose any weight in wool, whilst the mutton was 4d. per 

 81b. more in value than the long-wool cross. An Oxford rani with 

 Hampshire ewes has proved the best cross of any. 



In reply to the question whether pure-bred sheep are more successful 

 than crosses, Mr. Robinson says, " If you breed and sell either stores, 

 or feed all your sheep, I consider that, in a county like Bedford, cross- 

 ing pays better than keeping a pure breed." Cross-bred sheep scale 

 heavily, 20 stones and upwards at 20 to 22 months old, 10 to 12 stones 

 (of 81b.) at one year old. Fleeces weigh from lOlb. down to 81b., whilst 

 in some few cases cross-bred sheep have shorn 121b. at one year old. 



Our obliging correspondent states that he has not tried pure Downs, as 

 he considers they would not do well on land not containing chalk or 

 lime. He does not think sheep can be " got up" for show so well on 

 light as on heavy land, if they are intended to be exhibited over one year 

 old ; in the case of lambs for show he would, however, prefer light land, 

 so that he could have early green food grown on arable land. He has 

 generally had a large number of lambs in proportion to the number of 

 ewes, and also plenty of milk, but these are incidents which are largely 

 dependent on the season, as ewes with lambs require natural green food 

 in order to suckle well. Mr. Robinson adds that in order to compete 

 with the imports of foreign mutton our home farmers should endeavour 

 to produce the finest quality of meat without regard to wool. He 

 favours the raising of small sheep with plenty of lean meat, " foreign 

 mutton is not equal to the best English, such as a good Sussex Down, 

 which now commands as high a price as any in the market." 



We are indebted to Mr. R. M. Bodger, Cardington, Bedford, for the 

 following details. " As to which cross is the best, much depends upon 

 locality and fancy. I like the Hampshire Down ewe and Cotswold 

 ram, or Hampshire ewe and Oxford ram. By exercising ordinary care 

 in the selection of ewes and ram, you are safe to get good-looking half- 

 bred lambs. The real difficulty in a mixed or half-bred flock is as to 

 what to put the first cross with. My experience is that to keep size, 

 flesh, wool, colour, and character, a pure-bred ram of some distinct 



