On Cross Breeding. 
305 
of my ewes, and select rams from tlieir produce, thus getting frcsli blo xl 
witluiiit making an entire cross." 
Oar account of the Hampshire sheep would be by no means 
complete unless we noticed the sheep of jMr. William Hum- 
phrey, of Oak Asli, near Wantage, Berks, specimens from 
whose flock have so frequently been prize-winners, and their 
services generally acknowledged by other improvers. 
Mr. Humphrey, in a communication to the writer, has fur- 
nished the following interesting history of his sheep, which 
shows that, although they may be correctly designated the 
Improved Hampshire Downs, they are yet sui generis and dis- 
tinct from any others, and may be considered peculiarly his 
own : — 
" About twenty-five years since, in forming my flock, I purchased tlie best 
Hampshire or West-Country Down ewes I coukl meet with; some of them 1 
obtained from the late Mr. G. Budd, Mi-. William Pain, Mr. Digweed, and 
other eminent breeders, giving 40«. when ordinary ewes were making 33s. to 
34s., using the best rams I could get of the same kind until the Oxford show 
of the Royal Agricultural Society. On examining the different breeds exhi- 
bited there I foimd the Cotswolds were beautiful in form and of great size ; 
and, on making inquiries as to how they were brought to such perfection, 1 
was informed that a Leicester ram was coupled to some of the largest Cotswold 
ewes, and the most robust of the produce were selected for use. The thought 
then struck me that my best plan would be to obtain a first-rate Sussex Down 
sheep to put to my larger Ham]ishire Down ewe, both being of the short- 
wooUed breed. I thus determined to try anc' improv'e the quality and form of 
my flesh, still retaining the size and hardihood so necessary for our dirty low 
lands and cold exposed hills. With this object I wrote to Mr. Jonas Webb 
to send me one of his best sheep, and he sent me a shearling by his favourite 
sheep Babraham, which made some good stock out of my large ewes. I went 
down the next two years, and selected for myself: but the stock did not suit 
my taste so well as the one he sent me, and I did not use them. I then com- 
missioned him to send me his sheep which obtained the first prize at Liver- 
pool ; and from these two sheep, the first and the last, by marking the lambs 
of each tribe as they fall, then coupling them together at the third and fourth 
generation, my present flock was made. Not having used anj"- other blood on 
the male side for more than twenty years, I found some difficulty at first, 
Vfhen putting the first-produce ram to the first-produce ewe, the lambs coming 
too small to suit my customers. To obviate this difllculty I drafted out the 
finest and smallest-bred ewes, replacing them with the largest Hampsliire 
Down ewes I could meet with that suited my fancy ; still continuing to use 
the most masculine and robust of my rams to keep up my size. Some of my 
friends advised me to \ise a large coarse sheep to these small ewes to remedy 
the defect ; but the larger ewe seemed to me the better way, and that course 
I pursued. I got rid of mj'' smallest ewes and replaced them with large 
ones, which gave me what I thought to be an advantage — the using no male 
animal but of my own blood, the pedigree of which I am now acquainted 
\yith for more than twenty j'ears. It has succeeded hitherto beyond what J 
could have expected. My object has been to produce a Down sheep of large 
size with good quality of flesh, and possessing sufficient strength and hardiness 
to retain its condition while exposed in rough and bad weather to cons\ime 
the root-crops on our cold, dirty hills. Independently of the value of the Hamp- 
VOL. XX. " " X 
