SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 373 



well adapted to their home upon the bleak exposed Cotswold hills. So 

 valuable and staple a breed could not long remain without improvement. 

 Naturally, the sweet nutritious herbage of the limestone covering these 

 hills, favored this improvement, and as the pastures became enclosed, 

 and agriculture improved in character, the flocks improved with it. 



The modern Cotswold is still capable of enduring hardship and expos- 

 ure, and is at home on all sorts of soils. It produces a large carcass of 

 excellent mutton, and a heavy fleece of valuable combing wool, adapted 

 by its peculiar character for a class of goods of wide consumption, it be- 

 ing in demand for various manufactures from the small matters such as 

 worsted dress braids, up to various kinds of cloth for men's and women's 

 garments. Moreover the breed matures at an early age. It is not un- 

 usual to find sheep of one hundred twenty pounds and over, at a 

 3^ear old. A full-grown sheep exhibited at a Chri.stmas cattle market 

 in England, dressed three hundred forty-four pounds, or eighty-six 

 pounds per quarter. The weight of the fleece should average eight 

 pounds for a flock of all kinds, and some of our naturalized flocks sur- 

 pass this weight of fleece. The description of a well-bred Cotswold is 

 as follows: the face and legs are white, but sometimes dashes of gray 

 or brown derived from the original stock, may be found on both face 

 and forelegs. The head is strong and massive with sometimes a Roman 

 nose, without horns, and having a thick forelock of wool upon the fore- 

 head. The neck and forequarters are not so square and heavy, nor the 

 brisket so prominent, as in the best Leicesters; but the hindquarters are 

 .square, full, and the ribs well sprung, giving a round body; the flanks 

 are deep; the legs are clean, and of moderate length." — Shepherd's 

 Manual. 



Cross-Bred Sheep. At the present time there seems to be more 

 money in cross-bred sheep than in full "bred." The wool producing 

 .sheep are of slow growth and are slow in maturing. The "mutton" 

 sheep are great eaters and require the most careful treatment. They 

 have been so highly bred that they have weak constitutions, and are not 

 as good breeders as the farmer would like. By a j udicious cross there is 

 .still retained the quick growth, early maturity, and the good quality of 

 the mutton. The sheep are more hardy, more easily kept, and produce 

 more pounds of marketable mutton at a less cost than the pure "bloods." 



The most conspicuous crosses are the Cotswold — Merino; the South- 

 down — ^Merino; the Leicester — Merino; the Cotswold — I^eicester; and 

 the Cotswold — Southdown. 



