180 Comparative Fattening Qualities of Sheep. 



We must here repeat that these experiments have not for their 

 object the settlement of the various questions as to the adapta- 

 tion of this or that breed to this or that different locality, or 

 different treatment ; but, in the course of our general investi- 

 gation of the chemistry of the consumption of food by animals 

 upon the farm, for its double produce of meat and manure, under 

 the more and more prevailing system of artificial food and early 

 maturity, we have sought to combine, with this more general 

 object, a comparison of the several breeds of sheep in these 

 respects ; — that is, as to their character as early fatteners, when 

 liberally supplied with good food. 



We need not here recall special attention to the results given 

 so fully in our last report, as to the Hampshire and Sussex 

 breeds ; but, to assist the reader in his comparison of the several 

 breeds, we shall refer in passing to some of those results, as the 

 various points, elicited in the experiment with the Cotswolds, 

 come before our view. It is our wish, however, to give no bias 

 whatever in the matter, beyond that of the facts themselves ; and 

 we should prefer that those interested in the question should study 

 the figures and other particulars for themselves, and come to their 

 own conclusions. 



Neither is it necessary to our object to enter into any lengthened 

 historical account of the Cotswold breed. It will be sufficient to 

 say, on this head, that this long-woolled sheep is one of the 

 largest in the country — that it has the character of being hardy 

 and prolific, of having a considerable propensity to fatten, and 

 of coming early to maturity. It is said to be of a peculiarly 

 quiet disposition, a quality tending both to economy of food, and 

 to its character as a fattening sheep ; yet it has, nevertheless, 

 sometimes been said to consume a comparatively large amount of 

 food in relation to its weight. However this may be, this breed, 

 like many others, has certainly been much improved of late years ; 

 and it was our object to obtain animals for the purposes of our 

 experiment which should be good specimens of the modern breed. 

 With this view, we availed ourselves of the judgment of Mr. 

 William Garne, of Aldsworth, Northleach, Gloucestershire, 

 whose name is well known as a prizeman for this breed, at the 

 shows of the Royal Agricultural Society of England. 



We communicated to Mr. Garne the object of our experiment, 

 and accordingly he selected for us 50 wether lambs in October 

 last. We were informed that they were not bred by himself, 

 and, both by their marks and the character of the animals, we 

 concluded that they came from at least two different flocks, some 

 three or four, perhaps, coming from a third ; at any rate, the 

 whole seemed to be divisible into two lots about equal in number 

 — the one averaging four or five lbs. more per head than the 



