136 



BREEDS OF SHEEP AND GOATS 



level, wide rumps. A good development of the " leg 0' 

 mutton " is also necessary in good types. They do not 

 thrive well in large flocks, but under reasonable care are 

 quite hardy. They are sometimes called the farmer's 

 ideal sheep. 



The Oxford. — These sheep originated in Oxfordshire, 

 England, and were not recognized as a distinct breed until 



Fig. 48. — Oxford ram. 



1862, the first year they were awarded prizes at the Royal 

 Show of England. They were developed through a desire 

 on the part of some men to establish a breed that would 

 combine high quality with large size, which was accom- 

 plished by crossing the long wool Cotswold with the 

 medium wool Hampshire and adding a shght infusion 

 of Southdown blood. The result is a breed whose wool 

 is the longest and coarsest of all the medium wool breeds 



