Irish A(jriculture. 
11 
certain amount of jealousy, which arose out oi the awards when 
botli kinds were exhibited in one class. 
Filteen years ago very few Shropshire Downs were to l)e 
found in Ireland, but since that time the breed has become well 
known and much appreciated in the country. This has been 
partly owing to the enterprise of Mr. C. W. Hamilton, of 
Hamwood, County Meath, who has established a flock of 
Sliropshire Downs which may fairly rank with any in England. 
In fact, rams are frequently purchased at Mr. Hamilton's annual 
sales by English breeders. The intrinsic merits of the breed 
have also exercised a considerable influence in diffusing it 
through many parts of Ireland. Shropshire Down rams are 
found admiralaly adapted for crossing with ordinary ewes, more 
especially for the production of butcher's lambs. The lambs ol 
a cross of this kind weigh heavily for their size. The late 
Mr. Naper, Loughcrew, County Meath, showed what using well- 
bred Shropshire rams for crossing very inferior ewes will effect. 
The ewes selected by Mr. Naper were the Scotch blackfaced, 
which cost him from 14.s. to 17s. each. The lambs produced by 
that cross of the Shropshire brought more than double the price 
of their dams wlien sold as lambs to the butcher ; and when 
retained until they became two-shear sheep, became heavy sheep, 
taking usually the first prizes in their class — that of crosses of 
any kind — at the Christmas shows of the Royal Dublin Society, 
and realising, even when prices were lower than they have been 
for some time past, from 4/. to 4Z. 10s. each. The wool of the 
cross is also so much improved, compared with blackfaced wool, 
that it brings within a very little of the price of pure Shropshire 
wool. 
Soutlidowns may be considered as unknown in Ireland. Some 
gentlemen may have a few about their places as fancy sheep, for 
table use, but no ordinary breeder ever thinks of turning his 
attention to them. Cotswold rams were much used some years 
ago, but comparatively few persons use them now, although some 
of the Connaught flocks show traces of the blood in the charac- 
teristic tuft on the brow. 
After the " famine years" of 1846-48, consequent on the great 
failure of the potato, large tracts of land were left waste in the 
west of Ireland, and when matters began to impnne a few years 
later, the owners of these tracts, wishing to turn them to some 
useful purpose, imported large numbers of Cheviot and black- 
faced sheep from Scotland. The importation of sheep, at least 
on a large scale, ceased about 1854 ; but every year ewes continue 
to be brought over, especially to the northern counties. Sheep- 
farming on a large scale, as practised in Scotland, has been 
