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FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



Southdowns — The Southdown origi- 

 nated in England, and was imported in- 

 to this country at the beginning of the 

 nineteenth century. It is a smooth, 

 round bodied, symmetrical sheep with a 

 brown, gray or mouse colored face and 

 feet. The fleece is rather dry, coarse and 

 light. They are hornless and, while the 

 smallest of the medium breeds, a me- 

 dium fat, two-year-old wether will weigh 

 from 130 to 140 pounds. They are es- 

 pecially well adapted to hilly lands with 

 a dry soil and dry, short herbage. They 

 stand in the first rank among early ma- 

 turing breeds, and the meat is of the 



than the Southdown. The ewes will 

 weigh up to 175 pounds, and the rams 

 up to 225 pounds. It is of English 

 origin and was evolved out of the South- 

 down, Cotswold and Leicester breeds. 

 It was first imported into the United 

 States in 1855. They are especially 

 adapted to general farm conditions, 

 where the land is well drained and where 

 pasturage is good. The ewes are very 

 prolific, producing on the average about 

 40 per cent of twin lambs. 



The unwashed fleece will average 9 

 to 10 pounds in weight in ewes, and 

 12 to 15 pounds in the rams. The face 



Eig. 357 — RAMBOUILLET EWE 



best quality. They are vigorous and es- 

 pecially desirable for crossing where 

 mutton is chiefly sought. They have 

 been used to a greater extent in the 

 production of various other pure, dark 

 faced breeds, than any other of the 

 Down breeds. They are inferior in wool 

 production, giving an unwashed fleece 

 that will average from 5 to 7 pounds in 

 weight. The American Southdown 

 Breeders' association has registered 19,- 

 933 sheep. 



Shropshires_The Shropshire is the 

 most popular mutton breed produced in 

 the United States. It is well propor- 

 tioned, symmetrical, and a little heavier 



is grayish black and the legs still darker ; 

 in recent years there is a tendency to- 

 wards somewhat lighter faces. 



As compared with the Southdowns, the 

 Shropshires have a longer and heavier 

 body and a heavier fleece. The head is 

 more completely covered with wool, and 

 the wool is longer, though not so fine; 

 it is what is known on the market as 

 medium Delaine or half combing wool. 



It is one of the best general purpose 

 sheep for farm flocks, since it produces 

 a high quality of mutton, a good grade 

 of wool which brings nearly top prices, 

 and a large percentage of lambs. The 

 American Shropshire Eegistry associa- 



