764 CATTLE -AND - DAIRY* FARMING. 



About the same time they were also described by other writers as being speckle-faced, 

 long and thin in the neck, high on the top of the shoulders, slack in the girth, high and 

 narrow on the lion, low at the rump end, with tail set on very low, sharp on the back, 

 flat-ribbed, narrow in the forequarters, and generally, though with little space between 

 their forelegs, showing a fairly good leg of mutton. As a rule they were looked upon as 

 plainly formed, if not ugly sheep, which produced good and fine-flavored flesh. They 

 were small, very small, as compared with the Southdowns of the present day. 



To Mr. John Ellman, of Glynde (the father of the late Mr. John Ellman, of Land- 

 port, and Mr. Thomas Ellman, late of Beddinghain), will most deservedly always belong 

 the credit not only of bringing Southdown sheep into more general notice, but of com- 

 mencing (about the year 1780) a course of valuable, well-considered, skillful, and suc- 

 cessful experiments upon them. These experiments were conducted by him with slow 

 and steady good effect during the long period of more than half a century. In justice 

 to the memory of one who so earned the gratitude of sheep-breeders, nob only in this 

 country, but in various parts of the world, I will quote to you his well-founded and 

 practical opinion as to what an improved Southdown sheep should be ; and I would im- 

 press upon you the desirability of carefully studying those remarks, with which I thor- 

 oughly agree, except as to two particulars, which I will point out to you later on. 



Mr. John Ellman says *: "The head should be small and hornless; the face speck- 

 eled or gray, and neither too long nor too short; the lips thin, and the space between the 

 nose and eyes narrow; the under jaw or chop fine and thin; the ears tolerably wide, and 

 well-covered with wool, and the forehead also, and the whole space between the ears 

 well protected by it, as a defense against the fly; the eyes full and bright, but not prom- 

 inent; the orbit of the eye (the eye-cap or bone) not too projecting, that it may not form 

 a fatal obstacle in lambing; the neck of a medium length, thin towards the head, but 

 enlarging towards the shoulders, where it should be broad and high, and straight in its 

 whole course above and below; the Breast should be wide, deep, and projecting for wards 

 between the fore-legs, indicating a good constitution and a disposition to thrive. Cor- 

 responding with this the shoulders should be on a level with the back ; and not too wide 

 above; they should bow outwards from the top to the breast, indicating a springing rib 

 beneath and leaving room for it; the ribs coming out horizontally from the spine and 

 extending far backward, and the last rib projecting more than the others; the back flat 

 from the shoulders to the setting on of the tail; the loin broad and flat; the rump long and 

 broad; and the tail set on high and nearly on a level with the spine; the hips wide; the 

 space between them and the last rib on either side as narrow as possible, and the ribs 

 generally presenting a circular form like a barrel; the belly as straight as the back; the 

 legs neither too long nor two short; the forelegs straight from the breast lo the foot, not 

 bending in at the knee, and standing far apart both before and behind; the hocks hav- 

 ing a direction rather outward, and the twist, or the meeting of the thighs behind, be- 

 ing particularly full} the bones fine, yet having no appearance of weakness, and the legs 

 of a dark color; the belly well defended with wool, and the wool coming down before 

 and behind to the knee and to the hock; the wool short, close, curled, and fine, and free 

 from spiry projecting fibers." 



Mr. Ellsman's description of the main points which constituted a symmetrical and 

 well-bred Southdown sheep early in the present centurv may be accepted as the essen- 

 tial requirements of a good Southdown sheep at the present time, with the two follow- 

 ing exceptions, viz, speckled faces and the set-on of the tail. A speckled face is very 

 properly no longer looked upon as denoting a pure-bred Southdown sheep. The face 

 and legs should be of a nice mouse color, neither too dark nor too light, but of medium 

 tint. In fact, anything in the way of a white speck on the face or legs is now consid- 

 ered to show a defect in the purity of the blood. The other point in Mr. Ellman's de- 

 scription of a well-made Southdown sheep with which I cannot agree is the set-on of 

 the tail. Mr. Ellman says the tail should be " set on high, and nearly on a level with 

 the spine." I am of opinion that if a sheep's tall is placed on a level with the spine 

 the position is an unnatural one. I have generally found, too, that when the tail of a 

 sheep has been placed very high the back has been weak and not well covered with 

 There is a right and wrong position for the tail of a sheep, and to be right it 

 should be neither too high nor too low. 



Notwithstanding the great improvement which Mr. Ellman effected in the breed, it 

 was some time before Southdown sheep won their way into public favor, if we may judge 

 ot this by the prices which they made. But we must bear in mind that in those days 



icep, even of the most esteemed breeds, did not realize high prices. It appears, how- 



rer, from an article in the Agricultural Annual of that date, that in 1836 there was a 

 derable increase in the value of Southdown sheep, the breed having become better 



(own, an$ its merits then more fully recognized. In the year 1787 a Southdown ram 

 letcned lor frhe first time as much as 10 guineas, Mr. Ellman sell ing two for 21 to Lord 



^Farmer's Dictionary, vol. 2, p. 534. 



