SHEEP 



573 



perior. They stand unrivaled among 

 the sheep breeds for the production of 

 winter lambs, i. e., unweaned lambs 

 which can be marketed during the holi- 

 days and winter months. 



The Dorset Horn Sheep association 

 was established in 1891, and has regis- 

 tered about 10,750 sheep. The Conti- 

 nental Dorset club has registered 5,098. 



Cheviot — The Cheviot is a mountain 

 breed of sheep, hardy and does well on 

 scant pasture. They are native to the 

 Cheviot Hills of England. These sheep 

 are distributed in nearly all the states 

 east of the Mississippi river and in Can- 



Tunis_The Tunis or Broad Tail sheep 

 is a native of Tunis in Northern Af- 

 rica. They are a mountain or semi- 

 mountainous breed and were first im- 

 ported into the United States in 1799, 

 and no importations have been made 

 since then. _ They are about equal to 

 the Dorset in size, the rams in good 

 form weighing about 180 pounds, and 

 the ewes 135 pounds. They stand ex- 

 tremes of heat and cold well and seem 

 likely to spread southward rather than 

 northward. The wool may be compared 

 with that of the Dorset in quality, the 

 unwashed fleece weighing about 7*4 



Fiff. 360 — SHROPSHIRE RAM 



ada. They are a medium sized sheep, 

 the rams weighing 175 to 200 pounds, 

 and the ewes from 135 to 150 pounds. 

 The wool is rather coarse, the fleece 

 weighs 8 to 10 pounds. They are es- 

 pecially sought where hardihood is im- 

 portant. The breed is pure white, in- 

 cluding a white face and white legs. 

 Occasionally there are small black spots 

 on the head and ears. The end of the 

 nose is dark. They do not bear close 

 confinement as well as some of the other 

 breeds. The mutton, though of good 

 quality, is not equal to that of the South- 

 down. 



The American Cheviot Sheep society 

 has registered 10,700 animals. 



pounds. They have a small head, horn- 

 less or nearly so, a clean face and nose, 

 brown and white in color, and the same 

 colored legs. The ears are broad and 

 drooping and brown or light fawn in 

 color. They mature early, have good 

 grazing and feeding quality and the 

 quality of the meat is of the very best. 

 They are very prepotent when crossed 

 on other breeds. They are probably bet- 

 ter than any of the Down breeds for 

 southern conditions. By many they are 

 considered second in importance only to 

 the Dorset in early breeding habit and 

 for the production of winter lambs. 



Leicesters — The Leicester is one of the 

 long wool native English breeds which, 



