Shropshire Sheep. 437 



breeders are more for a little speckle in the grey, and 

 dead against a fallow face. The grey tip on the nose 

 is quite a Salop hall-mark, and, as it gradually in- 

 creases, it gives the ewes a look of extra age. Lambs 

 will sometimes fall perfectly brown in their coats ; 

 but, if true-bred, they come to the right shade before 

 twelve months are over ; and if their faces are white 

 to begin with, it gradually shades off into the Shrop- 

 shire brown-grey. The breeders get them as wide in 

 the chest as possible, and not too small in the bone, 

 and a very large scrag too often goes with thin and 

 flat sides. Many of them are sheared in March, and 

 clothed till the weather is kind. A well-fed shearling 

 tup will cut iolbs., and we have known them touch 

 1 5 Jibs. It was once the practice to shear the lambs, 

 and get off about lib. all round ; but it was found 

 that they did not winter so well, and they are now 

 dipped instead* 



* Mr. Samuel Meire's Magnum Bonum holds a high place among 

 the tups, to which reference is made in many a fire-side council. He 

 was used for eleven seasons, and his dam, who was so large in the 

 rumps that no Southdown could serve her, lived till she was twenty. 

 Perfection, the first-prize shearling at Chester, was one of his sons. 

 Mr. Adney's Patentee, by his Buckskin, was beaten in the older class 

 at the same meeting. The Patentees were rather light in their faces, 

 and generally with a speck on their off-hind leg, and with wonderful 

 hardy constitutions. Worcester Patron was his nephew, and is remem- 

 bered for his capital scrag, and one of Patentee's sons, which was let for 

 1 20 guineas, did a great deal for Mr. Byrd. He also did something 

 towards setting up the flock of the Brothers Crane, who are as great in 

 the Shropshire ewe classes at the Royal Agricultural Society, as Mr. 

 Horton in the rams. Liberty, Nobleman, and Celebrity have been the 

 Brothers Crane's best ewe sires. Celebrity was by "Jukes's Sheep," 

 who was always a great wool getter. The Cranes began their career as 

 Royal shearling ewe winners at Canterbury, and they took five firsts and 

 three seconds in 1860-65. Their Leeds seconds are the biggest they 

 ever showed, and were by the sire of Commonwealth. Their ewes by 

 Nobleman came in at Plymouth. Mr. Thornton's Laurel was also a 

 great ewe getter for them. Mr. Maunsell's Macaroni was very cele- 

 brated for his fine coat and rumps. Mr. Coxon's Duke of Newcastle 

 was the first shearling at the Newcastle Royal in a grand class. He was 

 purchased by Mr. Coxon for 80/., from his breeder, Mr. Thornton of 



