14 BULLETIN 94, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



Almost a century and. a half of careful selection has improved the 

 carcass, especially in development of the fore quarters, neck, and 

 rump. Greater refinement has been attained and the horns have 

 been eliminated. The names of John Ellman, of Glynde, and Jonas 

 Webb, of Babraham, are inseparably connected with early South- 

 down history. Ellman bears the same relationship to this breed 

 as Bakewell does to the Leicester, and he might fittingly be called 

 the father of the medium- wool breeds. 



The distribution of the Southdown is practically universal. They 

 can be found in many parts of England outside of their native shires, 

 and exportations have been made to almost every civilized country. 

 The Southdown has been widely used in the development of the 

 other medium-wool breeds of sheep, and there are very few, if any, 

 of these that do not owe, either directly or indirectly, some part of 

 their improvement to Southdown blood. 



The first reliable record we have of Southdowns in this country is 

 that of Dr. Rose's flock, in Seneca County, N. Y. In 1803 these 

 sheep were reported as doing well. In all probability importations 

 were made many years previous, and they have taken place almost 

 continuously since that date. 



The Southdown is the mutton sheep par excellence. There is no 

 better combination of quality and beauty in the ovine world; hence 

 their name, the "gentleman's sheep." This breed is remarkable in 

 having a large number of wealthy admirers and breeders whose 

 flocks have been of more than ordinary excellence, though even now, 

 as a rule, the best specimens are imported from their native hills. 

 The lawns of quite a number of famous country estates are kept 

 closely cropped by these ovine aristocrats and they are also used 

 upon the parks in some of the large cities. 



Their distribution has been from the Atlantic to the Pacific and 

 from Mexico to Canada, though they are not seen in as large numbers 

 as some of the larger breeds. They have attained their greatest 

 popularity in the South. In the spring-lamb region of Tennessee, 

 Kentucky, and Virginia, Southdown rams are used almost exclu- 

 sively. This country has few other sections where one breed 

 has been adopted for a standard over so wide a range -of territory. 

 Other breeds have been tried here, and in some cases have produced 

 larger lambs, but they lacked quality and condition and have not 

 succeeded in supplanting the Southdown to any appreciable extent. 

 The lambs of the latter attain a weight of 60 to 90 pounds when 

 from 3 to 4 months old, and are ready for market the latter part of 

 May, during June, and early July. Gains of from 1 pound to 1^ 

 pounds per lamb per day are reported for short periods during the 

 best growing season. The early lamb is the object sought after, 



