bQA=298 
Practical Agriculture. 
Sheep fairs brated breeders at the present time. The most famous fairs for 
Vvilts°*° '^^'^ Hampshire Downs are at Overton and Wejhill in Hampshire, 
and at Britford and Wilton in Wiltshire. At Overton lamb 
fair, about 65,000 are penned ; at Wejhill, on an average, there 
are 125,000 sheep and lambs, divided into two fairs, the Wilts 
sheep keeping on their side of the turnpike, and the Hants on 
the other. At Appleshaw fair, of 100,000 sheep penned, about 
one-half are Dorset and one-fourth Somerset Horns, and the 
remainder Wiltshires. 
Weight and As an example of the great weight attainable by the breed, 
it may be mentioned that Mr. Morrison's three shearling- wethers, 
which obtained the Smithfield Club cup as the best short- 
wooUed sheep in the show in 1872, were estimated to weigh 
70 lbs. per quarter. Tegs at a year old readily weigh 20 to 
25 lbs. per quarter. The Hampshire and West Country Down 
wool is of fine quality but short staple, averaging about 4^ lbs. 
the fleece ; but its value is probably a penny a pound lower 
than Southdown, and the colour of much of the wool in Hamp- 
shire is inferior, being stained by the red soil on which the 
sheep lie. 
A first cross with Cotswold and Lincoln long-wools produces 
a very valuable graziers' sheep ; indeed, Hampshire Downs are 
being largely used for the purpose in counties far from their 
native home. The Hampshire ewes are commonly disposed 
of, after three years' breeding, to breeders who put them early to 
long-wool rams and then fatten the ewes and lambs together. 
Creation of the Oxfordshire Downs. — Barely half a century ago, Mr. Druce, 
Oxfordshire of Eynsham : Mr. Gillett, of Southleigh ; Mr. Blake, of Stanton 
Downs. Harcourt ; and Mr. Twynham, in Hampshire, began the forma- 
tion of a new breed, which should combine in perpetuity whal 
crosses gave for one generation, — the weight of a Longwool sheej 
with the quality of a Down. Some Sussex blood may have beer 
used : but the cross mainly employed as the foundation was thai 
of grey-faced Cotswold rams upon Hampshire Down ewes 
Putting the crosses together, by constant attention and weeding 
out of all unlikely animals and such as were at intervals " throwr 
back," a most successful result was ultimately attained ; the type 
is now well fixed, and improvement goes on by selection with 
out any admixture of strains from other breeds. This new breec 
is the latest as well as most remarkable product of the skill o 
modern breeders ; and it certainly possesses, along with uni 
formity of character and hardiness of constitution, a large frame 
aptitude to fatten, mutton of superior quality, and a heavy fleeo 
ol thickly set wool. 
Points. According to Messrs. M. Druce and Charles Hobbs, tb 
characteristics of an Oxfordshire Down are seen in a nice dir 
