208 SHROPSHIRE 



Fine as were the crops of this farm, the stock formed 

 its most notable feature. It was one of the original 

 homes of the Shropshire sheep, and for nearly half a 

 century now has been sending prize-winners to the great 

 shows, and furnishing flocks in all parts of the world with 

 the pure blood that tells in new countries as well as old. 



Shropshire sheep constitute the most widely-distri- 

 buted of all the short-woolled breeds, as much at home 

 in other parts of England and in Scotland as in their 

 native county, and highly prized for crossing in all 

 the newer sheep countries, especially in Australia. The 

 formal history of the breed begins towards the middle 

 of the last century, its first appearance at the Royal 

 Show being in 1853, and there is little doubt but 

 that it was formed from the local forest sheep crossed 

 repeatedly with the Southdown. It has become a 

 typical Down breed, heavier and more thick-set than 

 the Southdowns ; a Shropshire ram, indeed, shows a 

 big head set on a short thick neck that is equalled by 

 no other breed, and this masculine look is increased 

 by the way the face and neck are muffled up to the 

 nostrils. The two points its breeders insist on are 

 the shapely legs of mutton and the dense coat of 

 fine wool, which must show no black hairs and be 

 set on a clear pink skin, face, ears and knees being 

 alone brown. The Shropshires are prolific, and will 

 thrive on grass, but are more properly sheep of the 

 arable land, the wethers growing to more than 20 Ib. 

 a quarter when well done. Although it inherits some 

 of the hardness of its forest ancestors, the modern 

 Shropshire, like all Down breeds, requires to be looked 

 after and suffers from foot-rot on unsuitable land, but 

 as it is larger it is also more robust than its closest 

 relation the Southdown. The rams are in consider- 

 able demand all over the Midlands for crossing with 



