74 
S lir op shire S heep . 
lean meat, and commands the highest price in the London, 
Manchester, Liverpool and all the principal markets m Lreat 
Britain. Note the report of the “ Block Test in the Live 
Stock Journal , January, 3, 1913 ; — Shropshire lambs, first in 
class, bred and exhibited by Mr. Kenneth Milnes ; age, about 
9 months ; average live weight, 156 lb. ; average daily £^m 0 
live weight, 0*58 lb. ; average weight of dressed carcass, 95 lb. ; 
average weight of skin, 15 lb. ; average weight of caul fat, 8 lb. ; 
average percentage of dressed carcass to gross live weig t, 
61*06 lb - . „ . , 
These sheep dressed out very evenly, and cut lull ol lean, 
in fact they were ideal butcher’s carcasses. 
General purpose sheep . — Shropshire sheep have . rapidly 
increased in favour in all parts of the world, and combining as 
they do the most desirable points (from a wool and mutton point 
of view) with the minimum of objectionable features, they have 
obtained an eminent and permanent position in the estimation 
of sheep-breeders all over the world. In fact, they meet all 
the requirements of the present day as a successful general 
purpose sheep and are therefore very profitable to farmers 
and graziers. The Shropshire has been very largely bred for 
crossing purpose to produce freezers with splendid lesults. 
The Shropshire-Merino cross produces a very fine sheep, and is 
preferred by many who have tried it to any other cross. The 
half-bred is a deep, square-set sheep, well covered with a fine 
close fleece, which gives a high percentage of clean, scoured 
wool, and commands a comparatively high price, whilst the 
sheep are hardy and fatten to nice handy weights at a very 
early age. 
Probably one of the most valuable attributes Shropshire 
sheep possess is their power to sustain life on the poorest and 
scantiest of food and this has been forcibly brought to my 
mind by the comparatively small mortality amongst Shropshire 
flocks on Australian Stations during a prolonged drought as 
compared with Merinos. This hardy character is no doubt 
inherited from the original parent stock which largely roamed 
the hills and commons of Shropshire and Staffordshire. 
It has never been the custom to judge Shropshire sheep by 
points, which in the writer’s opinion is a method somewhat 
difficult of application, and more correct results will be obtained 
by the judge weighing the points for and against in his own 
mind and then giving his decision. 
The best type of Shropshire should possess (particularly in 
the male), a well-developed head, with clean and striking 
expression of countenance, a muscular neck well set on good 
shoulders, the body symmetrical and deep, placed as squarely as 
possible on short strong legs, due regard being paid to grandeur 
