SHEEP. 



ing the fold well, and as requiring much expence in winter 

 keep, an acre of turnips being the ufual allowance for half 

 a dozen befidcs hay, has lately given way to the South 

 Downs, which are fuppofed by fome to be hardier, lefs nice 

 in their food, fooner ready for the fold, and more quiet- 

 This laft fort has lately gained much ground. The wool 

 might be improved by a Spaniih crofs, but little other ad- 

 vantage would be stained. It has been remarked, in refpetl 

 to the quick laiuting of this mutton, by Mr. Vyfe, butcher 

 of Eaton college, that the Norfolk mutton certainly will 

 taint fooner than any other, in very hot weather ; neither is 

 there any fort (that he knows) of a worfe flavour at that 

 time, though isferior to none in cool weather. Many very 

 fine and fat Norfolks do not pleafe on the table. The fat 

 runs away in roafting, if they are laid to a hot fire ; and 

 they rarely are fo fweet as the South Downs. The latter 

 are in hot weather worth a halfpenny a pound more than the 

 Norfolks. When both are completely fatted, it is hard to 

 fay, (fuppofing the feafon cool,) which upon an average is 

 fattelt : the flavour too, in fuch a feafon, he thinks, is equal, 

 and as to coarfe meat, there is none in either fort. But if 

 they are killed in cool weather, before they are very fat, the 

 preference muft be given to the Norfolks, becaufe the meat 

 will in that cafe eat better, and there is a probability of 

 much more fat within. With refpeft to profit to the feeder, 

 if they are fed entirely with grafs and upon good land, his 

 opinion is decidedly in favour of the South Downs ; or if 

 they eat turnips in the winter, and after that are kept two 

 or three months upon grafs in the fpring, it is the fame ; 

 but if they are half fat againft winter, and are to be com- 

 pleted at turnips, he believes no Iheep are more profitable 

 than Norfolks, perhaps none fo much fo. But both forts 

 (hould be kept where there is both turnip and grafs land. 

 There are varieties of this breed in Cambridge and Suffolk, 

 with coarfe wool, and weighing about 1 8 lbs. or 20 lbs. the 

 quarter. 



Croiles of the Norfolk, with the South Down and many 

 breeds of other kinds, are met with and highly valued in dif- 

 ferent fituations. 



A great diverfity of opinion prevails, in regard to the 

 fuperiority of the Norfolk and the South Down, which has 

 led an experienced (heep farmer, at Finchfield in Efl'ex, to 

 make the very accurate trial which is detailed below. In 

 September 179 1, he purchafed in Suffolk a lot of ewe 

 lambs, at 61. los. the fcore : and in Suflex, in the Oftober 

 following, a lot of South Down ewe lambs, at 1 3/. the fcore. 

 Thefe lots of flieep were depaftured together, and received 

 in every refpeft the fame treatment until the 25th of the 

 fame month in 1793 ; when a fingle flieep, which was ad- 

 judged to be the level of each lot, was taken out, and after 

 both of them had failed twenty-fix hours, they were weighed 

 alive, the South Down weighing 96 lbs. and the Norfolk 

 95 lbs : they were then killed, and the refults of the trial 

 were as follow. 



In favour of South Down- 



2|lbs of fat, 45</. per pound 

 l| lb. of fkin and wool 



In favour of Norfolk. ' 



I lb. of mutton 

 I ilone coll 



s. J. 

 o 10 

 ° 5 



o 5 

 6 6 



6 II 



96 



95 



Total difference in favour of Norfolk fheep ^s. 8J, 

 It is noticed, that neither of thefe ewes had any lambs, 

 but at the time of trial, the Norfolk was more than half- 

 gone with lamb, and the South Down had but juil taken 

 the ram. 



In fliort, the leading and charafteriftic qualities of the 

 high and full-bred Norfolk and South Down (heep, feem 

 upon comparifon to be chiefly thefe, the wool of both is 

 found to be of the firft clothing quahty, but the larger 

 quantity is produced by the South Down : the mutton of 

 both is equally delicious. But the quiet gentle South Down 

 in the pafture, mull be oppofed to the wild impatient 

 ramblings of the Norfolk, whofe conftant exercife not only 

 excites continual appetite, but at the fame time occafions 

 confiderable wafte in the pafture, by treading down and un- 

 neceflarily fpoiling a great deal of food they do not eat. 

 For this extraordinary exertion on the part of the Norfolk 

 flieep in thus, as it were, wantonly deftroying a large por- 

 tion of food which is prepared for its fubfiftence, there does 

 not appear, from the trial already noticed, to be the fmalleit 

 occafion at lealt, to put it on an equal footing with the 

 South Down in that particular ; for it is evidently deraon- 

 ilrated by that trial, that in an equally fized fheep, the 

 heavieft, and mod capacious ftomach, and confequently re- 

 quiring the greateft quantity of food, is found to appertain 

 to the Norfolk fheep. The hardinefs of the South Down, 

 enduring wet and cold lodging:, and a greater degree of ab- 

 ilinence and fatigue than the Norfolk in the fold, is a fu- 

 periority of much moment ; and only to be equalled by 

 another, which they poiTefs in a very fuperior degree, which 

 is that of doing well upon coarfe four pallures. Thefe are 

 fairly to be contralled with the delicate conftitution, and 

 the tender aromatic herbage, required by the Norfolk ; to 

 all which it may be added, that the South Down is an 

 equally good turnip fheep ; and for every poffible purpofe, 

 whether for its flefh, for its wool, for breeding, for folding, 

 or for the butcher, they demand a lefs fupply of food, and 

 of an inferior quality to that which, in every fituation, would 

 appear indifpcnfible to the well doing of the Norfolk. On 

 the fcore of the firit cod of thefe fheep, an objeftion may, 

 it is faid, be very jultly Itated as to their general ufe ; but 

 when the South Down are more generally bred and increafed 

 through the country, in that proportion will the prefent ob- 

 jedlion be done away ; and though they may continue in 

 equal eftimation, they will neverthelefs, by their being more 

 generally diffufed and increafed every where, be brought to 

 a more equal level, in point of price, with the Norfolk, 

 Welfh, and all thofe breeds fo jultly held in rcquifition for 

 the finenefs of their wool, and the fuperior excellence in the 

 flavour of their mutton. 



The value of the croIFes which have beea made between 

 the Norfolk and Welfh fiieep, by the South Down rams, 

 are far from being decided, fome Iheep-farroers thinking 



them 



