304 
On Cross Breeding. 
been obtained? Can we recognise none of the Cotswold fleece or his more 
symmetrical proportions ? And, when I tell you that, in the years 1835-36 
and subsequent years, I sold very many half-bred rams, not only into Hamp- 
shire Down flocks generally, but into those of six or eight of our first ram- 
breeders whose names are at this day to be seen upon my books ; when you 
must be aware that these breeders are in the constant annual habit of selling 
one to another in this and adjoining counties ; I trust I may without pre- 
sumption lay some little claim to having supplied a portion of the material 
from wliich our present flockmasters have worked up a better and more valuable 
fabric." 
It is a curious fact that, whilst the system we have detailed 
has been followed in Hampshire, a very different plan has been 
adopted in the neighbourino^ county of Wiltshire. Here the 
same large, flat-sided, uncouth horned sheep, whose ancestors 
were its denizens in the days of the Romans, ranged over the 
Wiltshire Downs, and indeed, retained possession some years 
later than in Hampshire. They at length succumbed to the 
superior qualifications of the Sussex Downs which gradually 
displaced them, not by crossing them out so much as by being sub- 
stituted in their place, and thus the imported Sussex became the 
West Country Down. At length a larger sheep and particularly 
a larger lamb was demanded, and then the Wilstshire breeders 
procured rams from Hampshire and greatly improved their 
flocks in size, and secured larger lambs. Beginning with Sussex 
ewes, they have increased the size of the frame without materially 
enlarging the heads, and thus a very valuable breed of sheep has 
been formed, the W^iltshire Down, whose more perfect symmetry 
frequently enables their owners to wrest the prizes from the 
Hampshire men, and to cause the latter, by the rivalry thus 
induced, to improve the symmetry of their sheep by careful 
selection. The Wiltshire Down breeders, therefore, began with 
the Sussex ewe, and crossed with the Hampshire ram, whilst the 
Hampshire breeders used tl)e original horned ewe and the 
Sussex ram. The latter, therefore, have less of the Southdown 
than the former, and, thougli of greater size and producing 
somewhat larger lambs, have less symmetry. 
Mr. Ravvlence, whom Ave have before quoted, informs the 
writer ; — 
" The original flock from which my present .sheep are chiefly descended, 
was of the Sussex breed and of moderate quality. I commenced by drafting 
.all the .small and delicate ewes, and tlie remainder were crossetl with rams of 
the Hampsliirc breed. I bred from their produce for two or three years, and then 
liail another cross with the Hampslure, still continuing to cull defective ewes. 
After I had obtained considerable size from the infusion of the Hampshire blood, 
I had recourse to some ranis bred by Mr. Plumphrey of Chaddleworth, Berks, 
whicli were the i)roduce of the biggest and strongest Hampshire ewes by a 
sheep of Mr. Jonas ^Vel)l)'s. I use my own ramSjxand I also frequently j^urchase 
a few of tlie best Hampsliirc ewes T can get, ])ut my own shce[) to them and 
use tlieir lambs. 1 also put a sheep of Mr. Humphrey's to some of the best 
