56o SHEEP 



is not so well adapted to hilly land nor to sparse pasturage as 

 the Merino, Southdown, or Cheviot. It is distinctly suited to the 

 corn belt of America, where it is most abundant. It is also well 

 suited to the better Canadian pastures, and in New England 

 satisfactory results have been secured on the more fertile low- 

 lands or in the upland valleys. It may, in fact, be regarded as 

 adapted to average conditions. 



The early maturing qualities of the Shropshire are pronounced, 

 ranking in the first class. Lambs at four months will easily weigh 

 40 pounds and under special feeding will attain a weight of ap- 

 proximately 70 pounds. The grand-champion carload at the 19 13 

 International — a very choice exhibit by Knollin and Finch of 

 Idaho — was of pure-bred Shropshire lambs. They were lambed 

 between April 10 and 20, and the 55 head in Chicago had an 

 average weight of 98 pounds, which shows an approximate daily 

 gain of .41 pound for two hundred and thirty days. Considering 

 the long shipment from Idaho to Chicago, this is a fine showing. 

 At twelve months, under fair conditions, the weight should be 

 about 100 pounds without forced feeding. Wallace gives 20 to 

 22 pounds per quarter the dead weight at twelve months old. 

 The early-maturing, easy-fattening character of the breed or its 

 cross or grade is what makes it so popular among feeders. 

 Further, for years dark-faced mutton has been more popular in 

 the market than the white-faced. 



The constitutional vigor of the Shropshire has been criticized 

 as not of the hardiest sort. Compared with the Merino, the 

 Shropshire is more subject to colds in winter and shows less 

 resistance to the twisted stomach worm (Strongylus) than is de- 

 sirable. From the observation of the author, while the Shropshire 

 is not lacking in vitality in comparison with other mutton breeds, 

 it does not show the resistance to disease and parasites that the 

 Delaine, Rambouillet, or Cheviot do. 



The fecundity of Shropshire sheep is notable. The ewes of 

 this breed have long been noted for the number of lambs they 

 will produce. A ewe owned by a Mr. Pochin at Leicester, 

 England, dropped 5 lambs in 1882, 4 in 1883, and 4 in 1884. 

 A writer in the English Agricultural Gazette in 1879 reports 

 that in 1877 he had 125 ewes suckle 194 lambs, in 1878 he 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



