60 THE DOMESTIC SHEEP 



ity, and this is of the greatest importance iii these days, 

 \vheii time for feeding is the inaiii element of profit. As will 

 be observed later, when the science and art of feeding will 

 be discussed, it is far cheaper to feed a young animal than 

 an old one. For every part of the young animal is growing; 

 tho bone; vital organs; the whole of the carcass, flesh and 

 fat; all gain by the food; and the system is more amenable 

 to improvement in a young animal than in a mature one; 

 less of the food being lost in mere existence, as compared 

 with growth. Thus a quick growing animal in the early part 

 of its life is the most cheaply fed, for the cost of the food 

 and attention are the least for the most increase in weight. 



The whole system of breeding this sheep has been to 

 reach this end, and the exceedingly hardy original stock a 

 large horned sheep which ran at large on the open downs of 

 Central England so far back as the time of the old Romans, 

 when they occupied the island, and which supplied the 

 fleeces for the first woolen factory established at Winchester 

 during the Roman o-ccupation about twenty centuries ago 

 was naturally fitted to establish a breed with strong consti- 

 tution and ability for improvement. This breed has re- 

 mained one of the old standards since that early time, and 

 by its survival to within eighty years ago, when improve- 

 ment first began, proves its fitness to survive in its hardy con- 

 stitution and its intrinsic value as a wool bearer, for which 

 it was originally valued. 



The first effort made in its improvement was the use of 

 Southdown rams for crossing on the native Hampshire 

 ewes. The ancient race had a large bony narrow carcass, 

 large heads, prominent Roman noses, long curly horns, the 

 carcass was high at the withers, narrow and sharp ridged 

 along the back, but it was the largest short wooled sheep in 

 existence. 



To make of this ungainly animal one profitable to the 

 farmer for its flesh and fleece, was a problem to be solved 

 by the eminent improvers of live stork of all kinds in those 

 now a century old days. It was solved as others have 

 been by the use of the short-legged, broad-backed, thick-set, 

 close-wocled Southdown, a very anti-type of what this old 

 Hampshire then was. The first crosses were effective to 

 gain the points the original breeders of the Hampshire 



