SUPPLEMENT. 775 



stock has been preserved at Streetly Hall. These best sheep, however, are let to other 

 breeders of pure Southdowns, to bo delivered at a date when they have done the little 

 work required of them at home. Thus they may be used two or three seasons, or as 

 long as they may be required at Streetly Hall, when they are sold to other breeders, 

 foreign or English. 



As an instance of the way this plan has been carried out, it may be mentioned that 

 the first-prize shearling at Canterbury, a vd in the painted group of six above 



referred to, was used at Babraham in 18GO, when he was subsequently sold for 250 

 guineas to Mr. Thorn, of Thorndale, Washington Hollow, Duchess County, New 

 York. The strain of this sheep is now strongly marked at Streetly Hall. When his 

 stock came out as yearlings, all the leading breeders of Southdowns in England availed 

 themselves of the use of his sons, and a largo measure of the fine character of their pres- 

 ent flocks is due to the impression made by Archbishop on his issue. The Derby strain 

 (so named after the first-prize shearling at the first Royal meeting at Derby) is another 

 line of sheep that is now conspicuous. There are three grand shearlings of his descent 

 allotted for use at home this year. It was about one of these that the French breeder 

 thought and dreamed so much. The ewes with a paint spot on the off hip are of this 

 Derby strain. This shows the importance of these marks and a record of them. It 

 need hardly be said that the male descendants of Derby will not be matched with the 

 females of that strain, but a ram will be chosen for them which is the furthest removed 

 from that line of descent. It may be that an Archbishop or a Peregrin line may be 

 matched with them. But in this 1 am only guessing by way of a general illustration, 

 for I could not enter into the complicated and (to me) difficult details of the flock-book, 

 although these entries are A B C to Mr. Henry Webb, who has grown into familiarity 

 with them from boyhood upwards. 



The younger animals of this flock are remarkable for their size and uniformity of 

 frame and color. There are one hundred and twenty yearling ewes. Of these seventy 

 will be selected for strengthening the main flock. These seventy, when put together, 

 might be run promiscuously into lots of five or ten each; and he would be a fastidious, 

 not to say an affected judge, who would have confidence enough to declare which was 

 the better pen of the lot, so alike are they in general character. The less perfect fifty 

 will be sold to French, Canadian, American, or other foreign breeders, who are glad to 

 buy at high figures any number that can be spared from the Babraham stock. French- 

 men in particular are eager customers, from the recollection they have of the great suc- 

 cess of the late Mr. Jonas Webb at the Paris International Exhibition in 1867. 



The rams are eighty, most of which are shearlings. Rams do not grow to so much 

 uniformity of size and general character as ewes do, particularly when a large proportion 

 is left for stock. But, even with this large number, there is the unmistakable family 

 stamp and likeness to be seen in the meanest sheep. There is, besides, a regular and 

 good demand for the smaller and less evenly-balanced rams for crossing purposes, as it 

 is well known that animals are often as much like their aunts and uncles as they are like 

 their parents; and therefore, by the same rule, a comparatively inferior-looking sheep 

 not forgetting the dictum that "like breeds like" may be as valuable for ordinary 

 stock purposes as his more perfect relative would be. On this ground Mr. Henry Webb 

 saves the large number indicated of his males, for which he has, as intimated, a regular 

 and good demand. But and this is not singular, as the renowned character of the Ba- 

 braham stock causes it to be still resorted to by the principal breeders of Southdowns 

 to keep their flocks up to a high standard there is more difficulty in bargaining for 10 

 or 12 rams than for such as run into three figures. English farmers, who breed and 

 feed for a direct profit over the scales, look at an extra shilling per lamb, from an extra 

 cost of 2 or 3 for their sire, with suspicion or distrust; but they overlook the fact that 

 when a pure-bred ram from an old-established flock is put to a flock of common ewes, be 

 they of the same or of a different breed, the issue "shoot out and grow " to a far greater 

 size than they will do if they be issue of common or mongrel parents on both sides. 

 These lesser-priced rams are therefore generally sold to go abroad to France, America, 

 Canada, and other foreign and colonial parts. Their character being so well known and 

 appreciated by the customers of Mr. Henry Webb, all the bargaining now consists in an 

 order by letter for so many at the understood price. Peregrin, I forgot to mention, 

 whose issue are now marked with a paint spot on the near shoulder, was used among a 

 prize-winning flock last your, and he has since been sold at a good figure to a leading 

 French breeder of Southdowns. Hardihood (No. 10), too, is the son of a grand ewe of a 

 favorite lineage, and she is well-woolled down to her jaws and hoofs. Hardihood is by 

 No. 3, a four-year-old of well-preserved form, as he is nearly as straight as a shearling, 

 although his grand character has led to much work being got from him. 



The lambs are simply living pictures, both rams and ewes. As the whole crop of each 

 sex is together, there are, of course, variations in form and size. But, as to their general 

 character, there are very few under-sized ones. And as to their family traits, it may be 



