CHAPTER LIV 



THE SUFFOLK 



The native home of the Suffolk sheep is in southeastern Eng- 

 land. There are four counties fronting the North Sea — Norfolk, 

 Suffolk, Essex, and Kent, in the order named from north to south. 

 Suffolk is a somewhat flat, low-lying county of 1489 square miles 

 and contains considerable fertile area and is noted for breeds of 

 horses and sheep, named after the county. Norfolk is a fairly 

 level country of 2087 square miles and has long been noted for 

 live stock and standard farm crops. Essex and Kent corner on 

 the city of London, with the river Thames dividing them. Kent 

 is the famous hop-growing section of England. 



The original stock of the Suffolk sheep was the old Norfolk 

 and Suffolk heath sheep. These had a long, slender carcass, says 

 Youatt, long legs, horns, and a black face. The fore quarters 

 were deficient, the shoulders low, and the withers sharp. The 

 hind quarters were fairly well developed. The fleece was short 

 and fine and weighed light. The breed was hardy and prolific. 

 These sheep were crossed with Southdown and Hampshire rams, 

 although English Suffolk breeders assume the breed to have been 

 maintained fairly pure since 18 10. The Southdown blood bred 

 off the horns, improved the form, and gave a better carcass and 

 earlier-maturing, easier-fattened sheep than the Norfolk, while 

 the Hampshire blood gave size and weight. Mr. George Dobito of 

 Ludgate, Suffolk, was one of the most important improvers of the 

 Suffolk in the last century. The breed was first exhibited under this 

 name in 1859 at the show of the Suffolk Agricultural Association, 

 but was not recognized by the Royal Agricultural Society until 1 886. 



The introduction of Suffolk sheep to America is as recent as 

 1888, when two importations were made — one by M. B. Streeter 

 of Brooklyn, New York, said to have been prize-winning stock, 

 and the other by B. D. Sewell of Frederickton, New Brunswick, 

 who brought over 20 ewes. Suffolks were first imported to Canada 



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