THE SUFFOLK DOWN 423 



The Suffolk Down as a mutton sheep has high rank, evidently 

 possessing good qualities secured from Southdown blood, the 

 fat and lean being well placed and in good proportion, and the 

 grain and flavor superior. 



The Suffolk Down as a feeder also ranks well. It has been 

 kept under conditions of moderate grain ration with considerable 

 grazing, showing fair feeding returns. In experiments on fatten- 

 ing wether lambs at the Iowa Experiment Station the Suffolks 

 gained rather faster per day than the Shropshire or Southdown 

 in each trial, averaging .55 pound and .40 pound daily gain in 

 two trials. They dressed out in carcass 53.6 and 52.54 per 

 cent, and the carcasses were valued at ;?4.25 and ^5.00 per hun- 

 dred, a materially poorer showing, however, than most of the 

 other breeds made. 



The Suffolk Down cross-bred or grade is comparatively un- 

 known in North America, but in South America has been used 

 on Merino grades to produce good mutton sheep. The rams on 

 common ewes should improve the mutton value. 



The Suffolk Down as a wool producer is open to objection. 

 Mr. Streeter, in a letter to Ezra Carman in 1892, says, " I think 

 these sheep have just one fault, — they are not heavy shearers 

 and they are somewhat leggy and bare of wool underneath." 

 Mr. Sewell reports clipping nine pounds per fleece on the aver- 

 age, which is a very fair showing. 



The fecundity of Suffolk Down ewes is advocated as a valu- 

 able point in behalf of the breed. Twins are common and triplets 

 not uncommon. In the spring of 1891, 32 ewes of Mr. Sewell 

 raised 58 lambs, while the same year 5 imported ewes of Mr. 

 Streeter produced 11 lambs, and the same ewes 14 in 1892. 

 According to returns made to the Suffolk Flock Book Society of 

 England, the number of lambs reared to June i , 1903, was 140.66 

 per cent per 100 ewes, as compared with 136.16 in 1902 and 

 an average of 132.97 per cent for the previous sixteen years. It 

 is almost unnecessary to say that the ewes make good nurses. 



The distribution of Suffolk Down sheep is mainly in south- 

 eastern England, notably in Suffolk and Norfolk, and in various 

 other counties. In 1903 exports from England were made to 

 Germany, France, Spain, Denmark, South Africa, New South 



