Farming of Dorsetshire. 
431 
uncommon for many lambs to be yeaned on tlie road to VVeybill 
in October, and with the very forward flocks not unusual to 
send a light carriage for those dropped on the road. It is to be 
regretted that this old breed has become very scarce, for they are 
a neat and well-shaped as well as well-woolled sheep, very hardy, 
and prompt to fat. Tlie only specimens of them now remaining 
are found at Plush, in the possession of Mr. Michael Miller, who 
has a flock of the pure breed ; in some parts of Purbeck ; and in 
Portland, which latter, tliough boasting of a breed of its own, 
* rears the genuine old Dorsets. " Portland mutton " is prized as 
a delicacy by epicures, probably as much on account of the short- 
ness of the supply and the diminutive size of the individual ani- 
mal as for its " shortness " in eating. It will cut up sometimes 
as small as 10 lbs. or 12 lbs. a quarter, and very fat, and is not 
thought at maturity till 5 or 6 years old. Indeed a butcher who 
kills a goodly number of these little dainties spoke to me with 
complacency of one particularly delicate little ewe who had 
attained her majority of 21 years before she was brought to the 
slaughter. The description given of the ^jreed by a Portland 
farmer is — " small size, black nose, yellow legs, mutton fine- 
flavoured and short, wool fine." The number kept in the island 
has somewhat diminished since the Government works have been 
in operation, but the estimates of it vary so materially, that it 
might mislead if figures were cpioted. 
The Dorset-horns are three-fourths of them west of Toller 
Down, the rest being chiefly scattered along the line of water 
meadows. It is computed that not one in ten now keep horns 
who kept them 30 years ago. They require better land, and a 
down farmer will tell you he can keep three downs where only 
two horns would live. It is somewhat curious, tliat whilst the 
downs will fare better on poor land than the horns, on the stiff 
clays and rich soils of the vales they fare worse than on what 
seems to be their natural locality. Mr. Pope, having a flock of 
pure downs at Toller, sent some of the best of them to his rich 
land at Maperton, a horn country, and found that the poorest 
downs on the thin land at Toller did better than the best downs 
on the rich land of Maperton. The horns therefore seem now 
to be in possession of their own country, from whence the downs 
are not likely to eject them. In addition to early lambing, they 
twin oftener than the downs. As lambs they fatten well, but as 
hogs they do not progress with the downs. In the second year 
they regain their position. Mr. Damen of Winfrith put up 300 
horn and 300 down lambs, and after 18 months' run, found that 
the horns had paid 75. a-head more than tlie downs, reckoning 
them at 2s. a-head less cost, and at 5s. a-head more in sale. The 
horn lambs were formerly kept till the autumn fairs, but now 
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