1922.] 



ShROI'SHIUE SlIEEl' 



47 



^/ooi, — The quality of tSliropsliiie wool can bo classed as 50 

 to 50. with a staple of nice length, dense, fine in texture, and 

 always readily saleable. Mr. S. 13. llollings, tlie Bradford Wool 

 Expert, reporting on wool from a {Shropshire-Merino cross, the 

 property of Mr. W. A. Hart, of South Africa, writes as follows : — 

 " it was sound in staple, very shafty, nice combing length, very 

 clear, and free from wasty matters, though in the grease, and a 

 good colour. The quality, as can only be expected, was hardly 

 of a ()0's count, it being classed as a 56's wool, but for all that, 

 in a blend of wool for ' tops ' of our average 60' s, such as is 

 largely consumed in Bradford (England) it would have been 

 used most readily." 



This good opinion of the wool was subsequently confirmed by 

 wool experts on Bradford Exchange, and also by two noted wool 

 brokers, Messrs. H. P. Hughes & Son and Messrs. Buxton, 

 Eonald & Co. 



Then again, at the Eoyal Show at Darlington in 1920 Mr. 

 E. Craig Tanner's Shropshire Wool exhibit won the Champion 

 Prize offered by the British W^ool Fedv^ration for the best exhibit 

 of wool in all the classes, a unique and highly prized distinction. 

 Sixteen pure breeds of sheep were represented, in addition to 

 four classes for crossbreds. 



Showvard. — The establishment of the Shropshire Sheep 

 Breeders' Ascociation in 1882, combined with the great export 

 demand, induced breeders to enter the Showyard, with the 

 result that at the Royal Agricultural Show held at Shrewsbury 

 in 1884 no fewer than 875 Shropshire sheep were exhibited, 

 against 420 of all other breeds added together. At this Show 

 60 breeders exhibited, hailing from many counties, including 

 Ireland. 



In the United States and Canada Shropshires are far more 

 largely represented than any other l^reed. At the Chicago 

 fU.S.A.) Show of 1921, the Grand Champion Wether, beating 

 all breeds in open competition, was a Shropshire, exhibited by 

 Mr. Jesse Andrews. 



Prices. — Shropshire Sheep have for manv years (fully 40) 

 commanded high prices, rams ranging up to 400 guineas, ram 

 lambs to 180 guineas, ewes up to 70 guineas and ewe lambs to 

 40 truineas. These are of course for exceptional specimens, but 

 at the same time good Shropshire Sheep have always found a 

 ready mnrket at very remunerative prices to the breeders. Prices 

 natnrnlly vary according to the reputation of the flock and the 

 ounlitv, lint at the present time the best class of rams can 

 1)0 bought at f]-om 80 guineas to InO giiiiK^as. and useful sorts 



