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OUR DOMESTIC ANIMALS 





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A Southdown' Ra:m 



VI. The Mountain Sheep 

 OF Great Britain 



Besides the foregoing, other 

 races of sheep which have 

 come under the ennobling 

 hand of man are finding their 

 way to the United States from 

 Great I^ritain. 



The Dorset breed as we 

 know it, with its heavy horns, 

 its coarse and horny head, its 

 strong legs, and the undeni- 

 able defects of its conforma- 

 tion, still keeps the type of 

 other days. It is distinguished 

 besides by its fine, short wool, 

 and by the extraordinary fe- 

 cundity of the ewes, which 

 may give birth to lambs twice 

 it does not make an agreeable impression be- a year if rightly managed. Many breeders are 

 cause of its stupid, hea\'\', coarse head. profiting by this phenomenon and are raising 



The O.xford Down is a double cross, the winter lambs, which are fed and fattened in 

 blood of the Mampshire and Cotswokl hav- houses, — hothouse lambs the\' are called, — 

 ing been used in establishing the breed. The and in the dead of winter make their appear- 

 animals of this breed are of a very superior ance as spring lamb on the tables of persons 

 quality, being heavier than the other breeds rich enough to pay a great price for it. For 

 in the group and ])ossessing excellent cjuality this purpose the Dorset is the sheep /<?;• 

 for the production of meat. They rank well excellence for winter-lamb production. This 

 as farm sheep, and are commonly 

 found on the ranges of the West. 

 The head is in great part covered 

 with wool. 



The Suffolk breed is lighter in 

 form and color than any of the pre- 

 ceding ; its head and feet are dark 

 brown, and while not so compact in 

 form as the Hampshire it somewhat 

 resembles it. So far onl)' a few in- 

 dividuals ha\'e foimd their way across 

 the water to us, and it is imlikely that 

 the breed will ex'cr become popular 

 in this country. 



Sheep with short wool ha\'e, as a 

 rule, less power of I'esistance and less 

 ability to adapt themsel\-es to differ- 

 ences in climate, soil, nourishment, and general breed, which is gaining favor so rapidly in 

 regimen than the various races of long-haired this countrv, is confined in England to the hill 

 sheep. country of Dorsetshire. 



A \vM\ Fink Specimen of a Dorset Raji 



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