Comparative Fattening Qualities of Sheep, 



189 



head, and per 100 lbs. live weight, of the whole lot of Cotswolds; 

 and for the convenience of comparison we have added the same 

 particulars relating to the Hampshire and Sussex sheep. 



Table IX. 





Average 



Wool 

 per Head. 



Proportion of 

 Wool to in.i lbs. 



Live Weight 

 of Animal at the 

 Time of 

 being: Shorn. 



Wool shorn from Cotswolds. "1 

 March 22, 1S52 . . J 



Wool shorn from Hampshires. 1 

 March 27. 1&51 . . f 



Wool shorn from Sussex, 1 

 March 27, 1351 . . . | 



lbs. 0/.S. 

 9 4J 



6 4 



5 10 



5-44 



3- 77 ^ 



4- 57 1 



From this Table it appears that the long-woolled Cotswold 

 sheep gJive more than half as much again icool per head as 

 either the Hampshire or Sussex sheep. The Cotswold, again, 

 gave 5J- per cent, of wool upon its lire weight ; the Hampshire 

 giving only of per cent., and the Sussex sheep 4t per cent. 



We now come to the question of the character of the Cotswold 

 sheep, as ?7zea^-producers. It will be remembered, that in the 

 case of the Hampshire and Sussex sheep, out of the 40 of each 

 breed, the 4 which had increased most, the 4 that had increased 

 least, and the 8 of medium increase, were killed at home ; the 

 weights of the carcasses and of all the viscera being taken sepa- 

 rately, and the carcasses sold at Xewgate ^Market ; and the 8 of 

 next larger, and the 8 of next smaller increase, were sold alive at 

 Smithfield. V/ith the Cotswolds a similar plan was adopted. 

 Thus, of the 46 sheep, the 5 of most, the 5 of least, and the 10 

 of medium increase, were killed at home : the weig-ht of all the 

 parts separately taken, and the carcasses sent to Xewgate .Market. 

 The 10 of next larger, and the 10 of next smaller increase, were 

 sold alive at Smithfield, and the remaining 6 Vv'ere kept to be fed 

 till Christmas. The only exception to this arrangement vras, 

 that 2 of the animals thus allotted by their increase in weight to 

 be kept till Christmas, were exchanged for 2 of the others of 

 about equal weight, but which were less ripe and more adapted 

 for feeding on, than the 2 in question. 



The folio v/ing sumimary of average qualities within each set as 

 thus allotted, will show how far the method of selection adopted 

 was calculated to yield a fair average of qualities in the respective 

 lots : — 



