SHEEP. 



South Downs want is the noble covering of a Spanifh fleece, 

 and how little their carcafe would fuffer by the crofs, has, 

 it is faid, been demonftrated by lord Somerville, in the ev- 

 hibition of a yery fine ewe, large enough for any purpofe, 

 half Spanifh and half South Down. But in order to form 

 a comparifon between the Norfolks and South Downs, Mr. 

 Overman of Norfolk, on March 27th, 1799, took from 

 turnips twenty-four two-years old Norfolk wethers, and ten 

 South Down of the fame age, having always lived together 

 from the time they were lambed, and two hours afterwards 

 they weighed as follows 



Average 

 Ditto after fafting 28 hours, 

 Average 



Diiference 

 One of each lot flaughtered. 



Norfolk. 

 ft. 

 6 

 I 

 o 

 o 

 o 



106 



Mutton 



Tallow 



Head and pluck 



Skin 



Wool 



lb. 

 10 

 25 



9% 



Sfat i-jd. 



at 6d. 

 at 5^. 



Blood 



Entrails 



Lofs 



Live weight 



Mutton 



Tallow 



Head and pluck 



Skin 



Wool 



Blood 



Entrails 



Lofs 



o II 



o ol 



10 I2| 



South Doiun. 



ft. lb. 



6 8i at 6d. 



o I3iat j</. 



o 10 



o 10 



o 7^ at 18^. 



Live weight 



Norfolk 



Down fupericr by 



10 12 



ft. lb. 



'5 



ft. lb. oz. 

 10 13 o 



10 8 



4 7 



£ 

 2 

 o 

 o 

 o 

 o 



d. 



o 

 loi 



9 



o 



4 



£ s. 

 2 6 



o 5 



o o 



O I 



o I r 



d. 

 3 



7h 

 9 



o 



3' 



3 4 '05 



3 o 11^ 



Bcfides, thefc Norfolk fheep lofing 1 1 lb. 10 oz. more of 

 their rtfpcaive weight (taken full and empty) 13 a ftrong 

 circumttance againft them. The Downs arc run much thicker 

 en the land than the Norfolks. And Mr. Hill of the lame 

 diftiia cltimates the diff^erence of ftocking between Norfolks 



Vol. XXXn. 



and South Downs, at one-third in favour of the latter, in 

 number, in better condition, and of greater weight, both in 

 wool and carcafe; all fairly attributable to the fuperiority of 

 the breed, and free from any charge of leftening cattle, &c. 

 When his flock was of Norfolks, fcarcely or.e in a fcore had 

 a v/hole fleece ; but now they are South Downs, fcarcely 

 one m a fcore is broken. And Mr. Blvthe of Burnham 

 had, four years ago, a flock of between five and fix hundred 

 Norfolks : he has now one thoufand S<^uth Downs on the 

 fame land, and has likewife double the wool from his land 

 flocked with South Downs, to what he clipped when under 

 Norfolks. Alfo Mr. Durfgate, who has had South Downs 

 fix years, is clear that, free from all change in hufban- 

 dry, or other circumftance that would unfairly aff'eft the 

 comparifon, the number kept, compared with the Norfolks, 

 has been as five to four. The carcafe is as heavy as the 

 Norfolks, more wool, and a better price. He docs not 

 fold ; but the South Downs would bear it better than the 

 Norfolks. At Palfgrave he folds the South Downs, becaufe 

 there is a ftieep-walk ; a Norfolk flock changing gradually 

 to South Downs. 



Some think that the South Down are much fuperior to 

 the Norfolk, Cambridgefliire, and welt country flieep, both 

 in point of form, hardinefs, finenefs of wool, and difpofi- 

 tion to fatten. Crolfes of the South Down with other forta 

 are likewife much approved of in many places ; as that of 

 the South Down ram with the Norfolk ewe, the lambs of 

 which crols are fometimes greatly admired. Some fuppofe 

 It equally beneficial when done with feveral other breeds, 

 according to the circumftances of the diff'erent diftrias. 

 But this fort of crofling is very fparingly praaifed in the 

 native diftria of this breed of flieep. It has been tried with 

 Spanifli rams, and the wool has been confiderably improved 

 by the attempt ; but two great defcas, not to be compenfated 

 by any improvement in the wool, are faid to be produced, 

 which are tendernefs of conftitution, and badnefs of fliape. 

 In other places this has not, however, been noticed to take 

 place. In Oxfordfliire, and feveral other counties, the 

 South Down breed is faft iupplanting the Berkftiire, Nor- 

 folk, and many other kinds. 



And it is ftated, in the Staffordfliire Agricultural Survey, 

 that the Cannock Heath are a fort of flieep that has much 

 refemblance to this breed, and is believed to have originated 

 from the fame. It is ftated to have been much improved in 

 the form, thicknefs, and weight of the carcafe, as well as 

 the finenefs of the wool, by crofling with rams of the Here, 

 fordlhire breed. They are polled with grey face.f and legs ; 

 low before ; wool fine and thickly fet, weighing two or three 

 jiounds the fleece ; the mutton good : they weig'h from 15 lbs. 

 to 20 lbs. the quarter. In fir Edward Littleton's improve- 

 ment of this breed, by crofling with Herefordfliire tups, the 

 carcafe and wool were both bettered, the latter being ren- 

 dercd worth nearly 2/. the pound. 



Tie Norfolk Breeder Variety.— 1\\ this fort of flieep, the 

 face is black ; the horns large and fpiial ; the carcafe long, 

 fmall, weak, and thin ; narrow chine ; large bones ; very 

 long black or grey legs : mutton fine-grained and high- 

 flavoured, but does not keep well in hot fcafons. The 

 weight per quarter from 16 lbs. to 2olb.s. The wool in the 

 bcft part fliort and fine, but part coarfe. This breed ig 

 chiefly prevalent in Norfolk and Sufl'olk, where folding is 

 much the praaice, as they have the property of travelling 

 well. They are found in dilpofition to be given to be reft- 

 lefs, which renders them unfit flock, except in good in- 

 clolures. And it is ftated, in the nineteenth volume of the 

 Annals of Agricukure, that this fort of flieep, from pof- 

 Iclling few valuable properties, in addition to that of ttand- 

 3 H ing 



