October 27, 1881. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
391 
Although the cross-bred stock to which we have referred is not 
now available, we are induced to recommend the raising of a new 
style of animal and the fixing of a type and character to be 
called the Somerset Down, to be raised by mating the Hampshire 
Down ram with the Somerset ewe. Nor was there ever a time 
when we had so valuable a stock of Somerset ewes to select 
from ; and there are still some very good flocks of Hampshire 
Downs from which to obtain rams. Having the object in view 
of raising superior lambs for the Easter markets we for many 
years kept the best Somerset ewes we could buy, and mated 
them with Hampshire Down rams of our selection, and always 
found the produce in lambs, both in numbers and quality, very 
superior. 
In accordance with the subject upon which we are writing we 
shall quote from a paper read at the Botley and South Hants 
Farmers’ Club by Mr. Joseph Blundell of Southampton in May 
last, the subject being “The Cross-breeding of Sheep, with the 
View of Fixing a New and Improved Breed.” He says, “ Prac¬ 
tical sheep-breeders will admit at once that no objection can be 
taken against an alliance between the Hampshire Downs and the 
Somerset horned sheep, because the original sheep of Hampshire 
were a horned breed ; the same with the Shropshire breed. In 
Wiltshire, too, the original stock of the county were horned 
animals. In order, however, that no prejudice may arise as to 
the value and distinctness of character, it must be considered that 
we are not recommending the original Dorset breed for crossing 
with the Down sheep, but the improved Somerset, the latter being 
far superior to the former in all respects. With regard to the 
Hampshire Downs of the improved and present style and type we 
highly appreciate them, but yet think they may be improved in 
some respects by the use of the new cross if farmers can be found 
who will undertake breeding and fixing a type of sheep such as 
may be produced through the alliance of the Hampshire and 
Somerset stock, especially if carried out with intelligence, and for 
the most part upon those lines which gave us the Oxford Down 
breed. The advantages which may reasonably be expected from 
a new type of sheep called the Somerset Down are as follows : — 
That they would bring their lambs earlier by from fourteen to 
eighteen days, produce from 10 to 12 per cent, more lambs, and 
the ewes yield more milk than the Hampshire Downs ; that they 
would be of even more early maturity and greater weight for age. 
“As early maturity or weight for age must be considered one of 
the leading points to be considered in connection with the subject 
for discussion on this occasion, I have taken some little pains to 
obtain the weight for age of lambs of the Hampshire Down and 
Somerset cross breed exhibited at the Easter Cattle Show of the 
Botley and South Hants Farmers’ Club by myself in the year 
1815, which gave a dead weight of 10 stones, the pen of ten beiDg 
about six months old, and a single lamb weighed 11 stones dressed 
as mutton. Mr. Geo. Gray’s prize lambs in 1871 had a dead 
weight of 10 stones, with the same number and the same age, and 
a single lamb weighed 10 stones 5 lbs. dressed as mutton. Some 
Hampshire Down lambs exhibited for prizes at Overton Fair on 
the 18th of July, being about six months old, gave an estimated 
weight of 9 stones dressed as mutton. Hampshire Down lambs 
exhibited for prizes at Winchester Fair on the 23rd of October for 
several years, ten best out of one hundred (as returned by three 
layers), being at that time about nine months old, gave 13 stones, 
and a single lamb weighing 111 lbs. Hampshire Down lambs as 
exhibited at Islington Hall Cattle Show in pens of three in Decem¬ 
ber. 1880, being at that time about ten months old, were Mr. A. 
Morrison’s live weight of three lambs (first prize), 5 cwt. 3 qrs., 
the dead weight of each animal being estimated at 15 stones. Sir 
Edward Halse (second-prize animals) gave a live weight for three 
lambs of 5 cwt. 1 qr. 4 lbs., the dead weight of each being estimated 
at 11 stones. In order to decide the dead weight of the animals I 
have assumed that every imperial stone of 11 lbs. of live vveignt will 
yield as many London market stones of 8 lbs., and this is the best 
way as a rule. In referring to the weights of lambs shown at Botley 
Easter Exhibition it must be remembered that exhibitors in this 
ca^e are at some little disadvantage in consequence of nearly all 
the lambs having been disposed of some time previously, which 
reduces the number from which to select, besides which it is 
customary to retain ch’efly the ewe lambs, which answer the pur¬ 
pose for exhibition, as they prove the best quality ; yet the wether 
lambs would, if kept, make the heaviest weights. Again, it must 
be remembered that the lambs compared with them and shown at 
Overton of the same age are all kept on together, giving a better 
opportunity for selection of heavier weights, especially when 
taken from larger flocks. The Hampshire Down lambs exhibited 
at Winchester Fair have also the same advantage. The Exhi¬ 
bition of lambs at Islington Hall were only in pens of three, and 
might have been exceptional animals taken from the flocks which 
they represent. Besides which it has been stated that they had 
been housed, in which case they, of course, would have an ad¬ 
vantage over animals fed in the open field. In speaking of ex¬ 
ceptional animals, we reckon these at 3 per cent., it is sometimes 
only two, but never more than four. 
“ We must now refer to the best way of obtaining a fixed type 
of sheep, exhibiting as much as possible the Hampshire Down 
character, in order that we may have a breed of animals to fall 
back upon for the purpose, not only of maintaining the Hampshire 
Downs, but improving them. It would be well if several flock- 
masters would take the matter in hand simultaneously, as in the 
case of Oxford Downs as bred by Mr. S. Druce, who had the ad¬ 
vantage of selecting suitable animals from the flocks of those 
engaged in the same object of fixing the type. We, therefore, 
recommend and hope that some stock-breeder of sufficient ex¬ 
perience and perseverance will take up the question of fixing the 
type to which we have alluded.” 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse Labour .—This year, on account of favourable weather, this 
has been greatly assisted by steam power wherever farmers have 
used it. It has, as applied to the autumn cultivation of land intended 
for Barley or root crops in the spring, been of great importance—not 
only as to the quantity of work done in so little time, but that it has 
also relieved the horses from their labour. We cannot say that we 
approve of rafter ploughing and working the cultivator with the 
shares on upon Clover leas, because it destroys the Clover roots, 
which ought to be allowed to remain in the land and afford by their 
decay a valuable manure for the Wheat or other crop which may 
succeed. When the Clover lea is encumbered with twitch or couch 
grass our plan is not to plough and destroy the Clover roots so valu¬ 
able for the next crop, but to scarify and not to deeply break up the 
land rough, but only scarify the surface with the points on, not the 
shares. These will run like the teeth of a comb between the roots of 
Clover deep enough to loosen the surface and comb out the couch. 
After repeated work, each passage of the implement crossways with 
the former one will effectually pull out the greater portion of the 
couch, especially by the use of the Howard’s self-lifting iron drag. 
Although nothing in fallowing can make a foul Clover lea quite clean 
where couch has existed during the summer, yet it will be made 
sufficiently clean to produce a good crop of Wheat with an ordinary 
dressing of manure if the Clover roots are not destroyed and the land 
ploughed and pressed in due season. We must now state the diffe¬ 
rence as affects the future crop of corn between the two modes of 
cleaning the lea ; for if the land is ploughed for the purpose and then 
cultivated, not only are the Clover roots destroyed but the land is 
made so loose that the Wheat plants become weak-kneed, as it is 
called, and break down before harvest. If the land is only scarified 
on the surface and then ploughed and pressed the young plants get a 
firm hold of the soil when the seed is deposited broadcast and falls 
into the presser grooves. Our plan is to plough rather deeply when 
the couch roots prevail, and then horse-hoe the land in the spring. 
In this way the Clover roots remain and furnish plant food for the 
Wheat, and has in our experience generally produced several sacks 
per acre more grain than treated as what we call a bastard fallow. 
Winter Beans should have been planted before the Wheat; if not 
they should now be done quickly. If the land should be heav}- and 
not free for drilling or dibbling it is a good plan to drop the seed in 
the furrows at certain distances, and with a shallow ploughing cover 
the seed in, for in this way the birds do not injure them nearly so 
much as when drilled. Better still is the little seed drill attached to 
the heel of the plough ; this seeds the land with more regularity than 
hand-dropping, and with less expense. 
Hand / abour .—Men will still be required in storing or pitting root 
crops, especially Mangolds, which cannot be allowed longer to remain 
in the ground without risk and loss by the frosts peculiar to Novem¬ 
ber. As we do not advise the sowing of Wheat after Mangolds, but 
prefer to hold the land over for Barley, Oats, or Peas, we think it the 
best plan to heap the roots in the field by employing all the men, 
women, and boys that can be spared for the work ; or otherwise have 
the work done by the acre by casting together, first twisting off the 
greens, for we do not allow any knife or hook to be used in storing 
roots of any kind, but making up into heaps which clear a space of 
about 10 yards each way. It is therefore a question of hand labour 
only. The horses are then at liberty for more important work, such 
as completing or assisting in the preparation and seeding on the 
Wheat land. Whether the roots are required as a whole or only in 
part to be consumed upon the land they are well placed, being covered 
with a little damaged straw or fern and covered with earth; and if 
required for cattle in the yards or boxes they may be carted off to 
the homestead the first opportunity after Wheat-sowing is finished, 
without damaging the land by carting off the roots in a wet time. 
The greens are carted away daily and given to store cattle, milch 
cows, sheep, or breeding sows in the yards. We, however, approve 
of ploughing them in when Wheat follows, as they afford a consider¬ 
able amount of manure for the grain crop. 
Live Stock .—The Dorset and Somerset horned ewes are forward in 
lamb this year, and several flocks which we have visited within the 
