spots in our Commonwealth where heavy cattle and sheep find 

 an abundance of food. But do we often see at our fairs heavy 

 mutton-sheep, which would attract the attention of those who 

 breed and feed such animals to perfection — sheep brought to 

 the highest point of excellence as mutton-sheep — Cotswolds, 

 and South Downs, and Oxford Downs, and Leicesters, looking 

 as if they had lazily luxuriated all summer in a superabun- 

 dance of food ? With the exception of a few flocks, not large 

 in number, of Cotswolds, a few of Leicesters, a few of South 

 Downs, and a few of Oxford Downs, kept with great care and 

 at very considerable expense, we have not seen on exhibiton 

 anywhere in New England, well developed specimens of mut- 

 ton-sheep. The coarse-wooUed sheep brought forward on such 

 occasions, and exhibited as part of the farm stock of the resrion, 

 often give evidence of skill in the selection, and care in the 

 breeding of the animals; but they indicate too generally either 

 that they have had insufficient food, or that they have been 

 obliged to labor for their supply on rough and hilly pastures, 

 harder than their forms and their constitutions would warrant. 

 The condition of both fleece and carcass indicates that they have 

 not been fed up to their requirements, at some one season of 

 the year, either in winter or summer — perhaps in both. So, 

 too, on our farms, the coarse-woolled sheep rarely give evidence 

 of good husbandry ; and it would be no easy matter to select a 

 choice flock of this description from any purely grazing section 

 of our State. That there are good flocks here and there, we do 

 not deny ; but, after careful examination, we are convinced that 

 the average standard of mutton-sheep in New England, is far 

 below the average standard of fine-woolled. Whether this is 

 owing to natural causes, such as soil and climate, or to the con- 

 dition of our farms, or to the superior care which fine-woolled 

 sheep receive, others can judge as well as ourselves. One thing 

 is certain; we must take our farms as they are, in our attempts 

 to introduce sheep upon them. That we can feed sheep profit- 

 ably there is no doubt, but they must be adapted to our agri- 

 cultural cii-curastances. We speak now of our farms generally ; 



