MUTTON BREEDS. 49 



and heavy and curved rather closely in front 

 of the head; the ewes have light horns that 

 should curve toward the front. It is a curious 

 fact that Dorset ewes are as pugnacious as 

 their armament would indicate, often attack- 

 ing stray dogs and lacking almost altogetlier 

 that timidity that characterizes other sheep. 

 A sheep-killing dog will sometimes kill Dor- 

 set ewes, but it is not probable that any dog 

 would begin a career of sheep-killing in a 

 Dorset flock. 



The Dorsets have a form not unlike the 

 Southdown, though generally more upstand- 

 ing, and a similar fleece of close, strong wool, 

 with an elastic fiber which is very wJiite. They 

 shear better than some mutton breeds and the 

 wool is of the first quality. They are very 

 docile and thrive in hurdles or on grass where 

 proper care is taken to keep them fi'om 

 parasites. They have been introduced into 

 several states of our country and have thriven 

 wherever men have understood their require- 

 ments, and have failed wherever in the hands 

 of careless or ignorant shepherds. It is not- 

 able that there are now produced in America 

 under the conditions of the Eastern states as 

 good Dorsets as there are in the world, where- 

 as most of the other mutton breeds rely upon 

 importations to maintain their quality. Dor- 

 sets find their best use in America in the hill 

 regions of the South, where early lambs are 

 grown. They are favorites in Virginia, West 

 Virginia and so far as tried in Kentucky, and 

 in the Northern states they are largely used 



