VEGETATION ADAPTED TO DIFFERENT BEEEDS. 87 



eduction, but still the greatly higher cost of land there, 

 ore than counterbalances those advantages on the score of 

 tual and direct profit to the grower* While all the mutton 

 eep are abundant consumers, there is a difierence in them in 

 is particular, and in the quality of the food they require, 

 leaking generally, the long-wools require the richest and 

 ost abundant pasturage, and they will consume ranker 

 n-bage than would be adapted to upland breeds, or to the 

 Merino. They, are much less inclined to travel or work for 

 leir food. They are therefore, properly, low-land sheep, 

 heir place is rather the rich, moist plain, than the dry hUl- 

 de. The Leicester is the tenderest and the least disposed to 

 ork of all. The Cotswold is perhaps the hardiest and best 

 orker of the long-wools which I have described, and thrives 

 1 low, moist hills, like those from which it derives its name.* 

 iidging from its blood, the New Oxfordshire should occupy 



I intermediate place between the two preceding families. 



II the Down families are hardy and possess good working 

 lalities. In England they are regarded as an upland sheep, 

 iapted to dry and comparatively scanty pasturage when 

 scessary. But this is to be understood with qualifications, 

 L the United States. The words " upland " and " dry," as 

 pplied to pasturage, have very difierent significations from 

 leir English ones, iti our land of lofty hUls and mountains, 

 ad of dry, scorching summers. 



As a hard working sheep — as a sheep adapted to very 

 janty, or dried up, or poor pasturage, — none of the heavy 

 Inglish mutton breeds can compare with the Merino. The 

 itter, indeed, work for their food of preference. Where 

 ley have an opportunity to choose, they will invariably 

 esert the rich valley a considerable portion of each day to 

 limb the lofty hill -side, and they love to clamber about its 

 beep decKvities and among rocks, to crop the scattered tufts 

 f grass, and browse on those bushes and weeds which they 

 re fond of mingling with their food. They have not, in these 

 articulars, been bred away as far from the natural habits of 

 tie species as the English sheep. Their annual sojourn 

 mong the mountains of Spain, until a^ comparatively recent 

 leriod,, preserved these habits. 



From an observation of these facts, it has been inferred 

 hat the Merino requires short verdure, and a considerable 

 ariety of it. It is probable, on chemical considerations, that, 

 ther things being equal, several kinds of food will furnish 



* The Cotswold Hills are in GloucesterBhire, England. 



