SHEEP. 



South Downs 

 Leicefters 

 Half-breds 

 Romnay-Marflies 



Lofs by Starving, 

 lbs. 



8 

 II 

 17 



5 



Lofs per 100 lbs. 



lbs. o/. 



3 o 



4 o 

 4 6 

 o 14 



Dec. ift. June I9tli. 



Total. 



South Downs 

 Leicefters 

 Half-breds 

 Romney-Marfhes 



Gain 



per 100 lbs. 



lbs. oz. 



10 



13 

 12 



13 



Gain In ihe 

 •2d -24 Hours. 



Il)s. lbs. 



167 



6 6 12 



10 9 19 



0-5 5 



The refult of thefe weighings fliew that the half-breds 

 loft moil, and gained moft ; that the Romiiey-Marlhes loft 

 leaft, and ate leaft ; that the Leicefters loft more tlian the 

 South Downs, and ate more. It is fuggefted, that fuch 

 trials muft be repeated many times, before coucliifions can 

 be fairly drawn. How the Romney-Mar(he<, in the firft 

 twenty-four hours, could gain nothing, is not to be ac- 

 counted for, as the weighing was performed with ac- 

 curacy. 



Weighed again in the fucceeding month of March, in tlie 

 next year, which, as it will mark the lofs fuftaincd by the 

 fevereft part of the winter feafon, defcrves particular atten- 

 tion. They were at grafs the whole of the time. 



Weighed Lofs in 4 Months. Lofs per 100 lbs. 

 lbs. lbs. lbs. 



253 II 4 



214 37 14 



253 29 10 



2>4 15 5 



The refult here (hews that the Leicefters, which is re- 

 markable, TufTered the moft ; from which it is thought, 

 that it may fairly be concluded, fo far as one trial goes, 

 that the great peculiarity of that breed is not by any means 

 what has been contended for, a capability of fupporting 

 itfelf on little food ; but that, on the contrary, it demands 

 a very plentiful nouriftiment, and will bear the want of it 

 worfe than any of the other breeds. 



The half-breds are the next in tlie order of demerit : the 

 South Downs are the beft of all. 



South Downs 

 Leicefters 

 Half-breds 

 Romney-Marfiies 



June 



19. 



South Downs 

 Leicefters 

 Half-breds 

 Romney-Marfhes 



Weighed 



lbs. 

 299 

 275 

 310 



3'7 



Gain in 



12 Weeks. 



lbs. 



46 



61 



57 

 63 



Gain 

 per 100 lbs_ 

 lbs. 

 18 

 28 

 22 

 24 



The period from the 30th of March to the 19th of June 

 neceffarily forms another interefting portion of the trial, as 

 it takes in the whole flufh of the i'pring growth of grafs. 

 Here the refult, it is faid, is alfo remarkable, and ftrongly 

 in confirmation of the preceding obfervations on the Lei- 

 cefters ; for when in favourable circumttances in regard to 

 food, as in the prefent cafe, from feafon, they exceed all 

 the reft. The Romney-Marfhes, however, approach near 

 to them ; and as thefe had loft, in pinching circumitances, 

 much lefs, their fuperiority upon thefe two weighings feems 

 to be clearly afcertained ; and which will appear the plainer, 

 by comparing the weight of December lil with that of 

 June 19th. 



The fheep were then turned out, and twice weighed, 

 after twenty-four hours eating each time. 



Gain in the 

 1ft 24 Hours. 



lbs. 



The merit of the Romney-Marfhes, in this ftage of the 

 trial, is, it is faid, confpicuous. The South Downs are 

 next, the Leicefters and half-breds being equal. 



Weighed, 

 lbs. 



3.6 



Sept. 7. 



South Downs 

 Leicefters 

 Half-breds 

 Romney-Marfhes 



312 

 310 



337 



Gain per 100 lbs. 

 lbs. 



5 



II 



8 



6 



The Leicefters here, it is obferved, continue to take the 

 lead throughout the fummer. So long as the fiod ig 

 plentiful, they beat all the others ; and this part of the ex- 

 periment goes to prove a moll important point, which has 

 indeed been long fufpectcd, that in good fituations no breed 

 is io profitable to the grazier. The half-breds are found the 

 next to tiicfe. 



The five remaining Romney-Marfhes were fent to Smith- 

 field on the 4th of July, and brought 48J. each ; and on 

 Auguft the 7tli, ten of the remaining Leicefters went at 

 48J. each, alfo feven at 40J. each ; fo that the profit for 

 two years and two months food, added to tlie value of the 

 wool, is, it is faid, ^J. and a fradtion per week for the 

 Romney-Marfhes, and from 4//. to 4^^/. for the Leicefters, 

 from the time of their being lambed. 



The former part of the experiment will fhew that the 

 Soutli Downs and half-breds in 64 weeks age gave "jd. per 

 week profit ; and that the Romney-Marfhes and Leicefters, 

 kept until they were nearly twice the age of the others, 

 namely, 108 weeks the former, and 117 the latter, only 

 gave a profit of from 4//. to ^d. per week. This is, it is 

 faid, a moft interefting circumltance, and which manifeftly 

 tends to afcertain how much better it would be to the 

 grazier to get rid of thefe fheep at an earlier age, and re- 

 ftock his land with thofe which are moft falcable at the 

 earlielt period. 



November 21ft to December 25th. Weighed again. 



South Downs 

 Leicefters 

 Half-breds - 

 Romney-Marfhes 



lbs. 

 320 

 326 

 346 

 331 



Gain. 



lbs. 



4 



J4 



6 



loft 6 



Gain per 100 lbs. 

 lbs. 

 I 



4 



I 



loft I 



This, it is fuppofed, is perhaps the moft flriking period 

 of the experiment. By the lafl weighing, if turned to, it 

 will be feen that the Leicefters had outft ripped all the reft, 

 and that the fuperiority is ftill maintained. 



Tlie above details of the praftices of different diftrifts, ex- 

 periments, and remarks, muft place the profits and advan- 

 tages of different breeds of fheep for the purpofes of the 

 fheep-farmer, in a clear, fatisfaftory, and ftriking point of 

 view. With refpett to th.' wool of dilTerent fheep, we refer 

 to the next article, and Wool. 



Different Kinds of Sheep-Management In the praftice of 



fheep hufbandry, different fyitems are had recourfe to, ac- 

 cording to the extent and nature of the farms on which they 

 are kept, and the methods of farming that arc adopted on 

 them i but under all circnmftances, the beft fherp-mafters 



conftantly 



