86 Sheep-Farming 



not take such a prominent position as that which 

 is rightly theirs in the mutton market. Being pos- 

 sessed of vigorous constitution, and also having been 

 bred for definite qualities for a long time, the im- 

 pressive qualities of the Southdown when used on 

 other strains are very strong. 



Adaptability. — Being active and vigorous, the 

 Southdown is a good grazing sheep; one possessed 

 of the attributes of an excellent forager. They are 

 easy keepers, and this in association with their ac- 

 tivity and hardihood adapts them to rolling lands, 

 where they are required to live an active life. When 

 kept under environment characterized by abundance 

 of food, the breeding flock is likely to take on flesh 

 too heavily for the thrift of the sheep and the vigor 

 of their lambs. The demand that exists in our 

 market for fat stock requiring a live carcass weigh- 

 ing 90 to 100 pounds when finished for market gives 

 the Southdown with its smooth, plump form at that 

 weight another leading advantage in their adapta- 

 bility for mutton purposes. 



The Shropshire (Pis. VII, VIII) 



The home of the Shropshire, in a general way, may 

 be said to be the Midland counties of England. 

 In a prize report of the Agriculture of Shropshire, 

 an early historian, after describing the Shropshire 

 sheep, writes of their native district as follows : 



