CHAPTER XLVIII 



THE SOUTHDOWN 



The native home of the Southdown breed is in southeastern 

 England in the county of Sussex, which is bordered on the south 

 by the EngUsh Channel. Extending east and west through this 

 region is a range of low chalky hills about sixty miles long and 

 from one to six or eight miles wide, known as the South Downs. 

 These hills, which also occur in Kent, Hampshire, and Dorset, 

 grow a short, fine herbage, while wheat is a leading cereal crop, 

 though roots do well under suitable conditions on the lower-lying 

 lands. The climate is mild and balmy, being tempered by the sea. 



The original stock from which the Southdown sprung — the 

 native Sussex sheep — was somewhat small. It had a dark face 

 and legs, occasionally small horns, was long and thin in the neck, 

 light in the fore quarter, with narrow, sagging back, the body lack- 

 ing rib, though the hind quarter had a thick leg of mutton. 

 Coarseness of bone was also characteristic. The wool was short 

 and the fleece thin. 



The important early improvers of the Southdown were John 

 Ellman and Jonas Webb. Other men assisted in the improvement 

 of the breed, but these two stand out in bold relief among the 

 great improvers of sheep. 



John Ellman lived at Glynde near Lewes, Sussex County, 

 England. He was the first improver of Southdown sheep. He 

 began his work about 1780 and resided on the same farm and 

 bred Southdowns continuously for over fifty years. Ellman saw 

 the necessity of improving the native Sussex sheep to secure a 

 stronger constitution, a better mutton form, and ease of fattening, 

 with a smaller per cent of offal in killing. He sought the best 

 sheep wherever obtainable and made rapid improvement of the 

 breed. A son of Mr. Ellman, also a prominent breeder in his day, 

 especially credited his father with improvements made in the South- 

 down neck and fore quarters. Ellman very generally improved the 



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