142 



THE DORSET HORN 



extends to the knees and hocks, and sometimes from the hocks to 

 the pasterns. The growth on the belly is short and thin, and bare 

 bellies are not uncommon. In twelve months the wool attains 

 about two and one-half inches in length. It is of good commercial 

 quality, but since flocks do not average as much if any more than 

 seven pounds per head, the. fleeces weigh less than farmers think 

 a large sheep ought to shear (Fi^. 94). 



FIG. 94. The Dorset Horn ewe has horns, but they are much more refined than those 



of the ram. 



Markings and Skin. The face and legs of the Dorset Horn are 

 white. The lips and nostrils are free from dark pigment, and the 

 same is true of the hoofs. In rams the horns come from the 

 crown of the head on a straight line from each other and well 

 apart. They are long and thick, and curve backward and around 

 spirally, " coming as close to the face as may be without cutting/' 

 while those of ewes are much smaller and curve slightly backward, 

 then outward, down and in, the tips being about level with the eyes. 

 Males, unsexed when they are only a few weeks old, develop horns 

 of about the same size and shape as those of ewes. 



In presenting a standard of excellence for the breed, the Dorset 

 Horn Sheep Breeders' Association, of England, names the follow- 

 ing as being objectionable : " Spots on the skin, fleece, or markings 



