16 BULLETIN 94, TJ. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGBICULTUBE. 



The following is the standard of excellence for Southdown sheep: 



Points. 

 Head medium in size and hornless, fine, carried well up, the forehead or face well 



covered with wool, especially between the ears and on the cheeks, and in the 



ewe slightly dished 5 



Lips and under jaw fine and thin 1 



Ears rather small, tolerably wide apart, covered with fine hair, and carried with 



a lively back-and-forth movement 2 



Eyes full and bright 3 



Face a uniform tint of brown, or gray, or mouse color 3 



Xeck short, fine at the head, but nicely tapering, and broad and straight on top 



at the shoulders 4 



Shoulders broad and full, smoothly joining the neck with the back 5 



Breast wide, deep, and projecting well forward, the forelegs standing wide apart. . . 5 



Back and loin broad and straight from shoulders to rump 7 



Bibs well arched, extending far backward, the last projecting more than the 



others 6 



Bump broad, square, and fuU, with tail well set up 6 



Hips wide, with little space between them and last ribs 6 



Thighs full and well let down in twist, the legs standing well apart 6 



Limbs short and fine in bone, and in color to agree with the face 3 



Forelegs well wooled and carrying mutton to the knees, but free from meat below. . 2 



Hind legs well filled with mutton and wooled to the hocks, neat and clean below. . 2 

 Belly straight and covered with wool, the flank extending so as to form a line 



parallel with the back or top line 5 



Fleece compact, the whole body well covered with moderately long and close 



wool, white in color, carrying some yolk 12 



Form throughout smooth and symmetrical, with no coarseness in any part 9 



General appearance spirited and attractive, with a determined look, a proud and 



firm step, indicating constitutional vigor and thorough breeding 8 



100 

 THE SHROPSHIRE. 



Although little more than half a century old, the Shropshire is to- 

 day the most popular breed of medium-wool sheep. They attracted 

 little attention prior to 1848, when they first received the name they 

 now bear. They were first recognized in the prize lists of the Royal 

 Show held at Wiltshire in 1 857, but did not receive a place as a dis- 

 tinct breed until 1859, when the show was held at Warwick. 



The breed originated in Shropshire, or Salop, as it is sometimes 

 called, and the neighboring county of Stafford, in west-central 

 England, Shropshire being bounded on the west by Wales. 



Authorities are not all of the same opinion as to the exact origin 

 of this breed, but it is quite generally agreed that the Morfe Common 

 were the foundation stock, this being improved by the introduction 

 of Southdown, Cotswold, and Leicester blood. The Longmynd, the 

 Clun Forest, the Cannock Chase, and the Whittington Heath are also 

 considered by some authorities as being involved in the evolution of 

 this breed. 



