Suffolk  Sheep. 
77 
Prices  obtained  at  Public  Sales. — Very  few  yearling  and 
older  rams  are  offered  for  sale  ; at  the  principal  sales  from 
registered  flocks  in  1910,  the  prices  obtained  were  : — 
Locality  and  Date. 
Description. 
Total 
Number. 
Prices  obtained. 
Average. 
Highest. 
Ipswich,  August  . 
Bam  Lambs  . 
350 
11/.  7.?.  id. 
90  gns. 
JJ  M 
Yearling  Ewes 
2,386 
3 l.  4s.  8 d. 
71.  0s. 
Newmarket,  August 
Ram  Lambs  . 
227 
71.  12s.  11<Z. 
41  qm. 
Sutton,  July  8th  . 
Ewe  Lambs  . 
3,113 
1/.  11s.  6 d. 
21.  11s. 
Great  Bentley,  July  1 4th 
»» 
1,454 
\l.  16s.  2d. 
3/.  7s. 
Kesgrave,  July  22nd  . 
»> 
1,921 
U.  15s.  id. 
31.  0s. 
Much  higher  prices  have  been  made  previously.  In  1898 
at  a dispersal  sale  of  a noted  flock — 
Two  shear  rams  made  up  to  68/.  per  head. 
Shearling  rams  made  up  to  48/.  per  head. 
Ram  lambs  made  up  to  63/.  per  head. 
Shearling  ewes  made  up  to  15/.  10s.  per  head. 
Two  shear  ewes  made  up  to  26/.  per  head. 
The  following  year,  1899,  at  the  Ipswich  Special  Sales,  one 
ram  lamb  made  152/.  5s.  and  another  105/. 
The  Suffolk  Sheep  Society  has  flock  competitions  annually, 
and  every  flock  is  subject  to  inspection  once  in  four  years. 
This  practice  has  a great  tendency  to  obtain  uniformity — which 
is  so  desirable — and  also  to  keep  up  a high  standard  of  excel- 
lence. Full  particulars  of  such  competitions  can  be  obtained 
from  the  Secretary,  25  Marlborough  Road,  Ipswich. 
Crossing. — Suffolks  cross  well  with  many  other  pure  bred 
sheep,  particularly  with  Lincolns  and  Cotswolds,  improving  the 
mutton  quality  of  these  long-woolled  sheep.  They  also  mate 
well  with  the  Southdown  and  Cheviot.  The  former  cross 
makes  a nice  compact  sheep,  a great  favourite  with  butchers. 
The  Cheviot  cross  is  an  excellent  one,  many  honours  having 
been  won  by  those  who  practice  crossing  these  two  breeds  in 
the  carcass  competitions  at  Smithfield.  On  three  occasions, 
the  only  times  that  the  chief  award  has  gone  to  lambs, 
Suffolk  crosses  have  won  the  Championship  of  the  Yard  at  the 
Edinburgh  Fat  Stock  Show.1 
Starting  a Flock. — It  almost  goes  without  saying  that  it  is 
very  important  to  start  well.  Perhaps  one  of  the  best  ways 
is  to  buy  a good  lot  of  ewe  lambs  from  one  flock,  or  if  all 
1 Since  writing  the  above,  we  hear  that  Suffolk  Border  Leicester  lambs 
have  won  Championship  of  Yard  in  Edinburgh  and  Championship  for  cross- 
breds in  London. 
