198 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ August 26, 1880. 
a certain fixed type and established character must be maintained, 
or our materials for crossin" and improving: certain varieties of 
sheep cannot be mingled with advantage. Whatever objects may 
be in view by those who cross-breed it is very desirable that they 
should assume some distinct form, for some farmers are in the 
habit of using crosses in their flocks, having no object in common. 
We will endeavour to define some of these objects. First we have 
those who mix the breeds with the view of improving only the 
sort which they have chosen as best adapted to the soil and cli¬ 
mate in which they are reared ; secondly, some think they can 
see their way to establish a new breed or type altogether ; and 
thirdly, we frequently see sheep of mixed breeds, which are reared 
entirely with the view to making more profit by the produce of 
stock the result of a single cross. Now, we bold that the first two 
are not only of the greatest consequence, but also of the greatest 
difficulty practically, and requiring most judicious and careful 
management, and in either case within our knowledge only a few 
have succeeded in the accomplishment of their object. We pro¬ 
pose to give the home farmer well-authenticated statements of 
the method pursued by those who have succeeded in effecting 
their object. 
Let us take first for consideration the methods adopted by 
crossing or mixing the breeds of sheep for improving the character 
of sheep without any material alteration of type or style, taking 
first the long-woolled breeds. We must here remark the singular 
and decided advantage of using rams raised from stock so long 
maintained in purity like tlm Leicesters, as reared by Mr. Bakeweil 
for so many years, and again by Mr. Valentine Barford of Foscote, 
near Towcester. Since the year 1810 the latter had bred entirely 
from his own flock up to about the year 1856, without any inter¬ 
change of male or female from any other flock. We have heard 
him say “ that his flock being bred from the nearest affinities, 
commonly called in-and-in breeding, had not experienced any of 
the ill effects ascribed to the practice.” It is very well known 
that these pure-bred Leicesters have furnished the materials for 
improving the quality and wool of nearly every long-woolled 
breed where the rams have been judiciously used, including the 
Cotswolds, the Lincolns, the Cheviot, the Bomney Marsh sheep, 
the Devonshire South Hams breed, and the long-woolled sheep of 
Ireland. All these have been much improved by the Leicester 
blood. In nearly every instance, however, the original size of the 
animals has been reduced, but the aptitude to fatten and the 
quality of the flesh has at the same time greatly increased, and 
with the further advantage of earlier maturity in the animals. 
We must next refer to the South Down sheep, whose long line 
of descent can be traced from a period previous to William the 
Conqueror. It is without doubt one of the purest and unmixed 
breeds in the kingdom, as well as one of the most valuable. The 
uplands of Sussex is the native locality of the breed, and their 
first improvement was due to a Sussex man—Mr. Ellman of 
Glynde. He never exhibited his stock at any of the prize meet¬ 
ings, being intent only on being considered a careful breeder, to 
whom the farmers could resort with safety. Mr. Grantham of 
Lewes exhibited this breed, and for some years carried off the 
greatest number of prizes at the Smithfield cattle shows at 
Christmas. The exertions of another breeder soon after gained 
him great notoriety ; we refer to Mr. Jonas Webb of Babraham, 
Cambridgeshire, who in a most remarkable manner proved him¬ 
self by far the most successful breeder of South Downs, and whose 
system of breeding and selection increased the size of the animals 
without losing their quality. Since the late Jonas Webb’s time 
the quality of the breed has been well maintained by the flocks of 
Lord Walsingham, the Duke of Richmond, and others ; but we 
think they have lost both length and size. The effect of crossing 
with the «hort-woolled breeds has been marvellous, for the South 
Downs have been the means whereby various new types of sheep 
have been formed which have risen into celebrity within the past 
thirty or thirty-five years. Some of these now rank amongst our 
most useful sheep stock, such as the Shropshire, the Hampshire, 
and the Oxford Downs, each of which have within the last twenty 
years been admitted into the prize list of the Royal Agricultural 
Society of England. Previously the short-woolled sheep of nearly 
every breed were exhibited together, making it a very difficult 
task for the Judges, for on some occasions there have been sixty 
or seventy animals in the shearling ram class at the royal meet¬ 
ings. These singular competitions led to great good, for it induced 
the Society to encourage by their prizes the improvement and ex¬ 
tension of these most valuable breeds of sheep. The South Down 
sheep are now to be found in nearly all parts of England, Scot¬ 
land, and Ireland, and where the climate and soil is favourable 
they have not failed in giving satisfaction. They have to a great 
extent supplanted the native breed of black-faced horned sheep 
of Norfolk, also those of Cambridgeshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire, 
Dorsetshire, and Berkshire, as our observations will fully explain 
when we enter upon that part of our subject relating to the 
method pursued by which the original breeds were crossed out. 
The horned breeds of sheep, which are original and still existing in 
their ancient character, are interesting, if it were only for the fact of 
their holding their position whilst the great changes have been pro¬ 
ceeding, and in which so many sorts of sheep have been lost alto¬ 
gether. The black-faced horned sheep have maintained their position 
against all comers in their native districts—the mountainous por¬ 
tions of Scotland and the northern counties of England, where 
they are always exposed to cutting winds, and being a hardy 
race they will live upon the poorest mountain herbage including 
the heather, and where no other breed could do so well. The 
small white-faced horned sheep are also noteworthy ; they are 
natives of the Exmoor and Dartmoor districts, the Isle of Portland, 
some other western districts of England, and part of Wales, where 
they have held possession of the scanty pastures from time imme¬ 
morial. The Exmoor breed in the hands of Mr. Merson and 
others have been greatly improved by selection only, and the 
sheep have been exhibited at Smithfield fat stock shows as minia¬ 
ture models of fat sheep. Lastly, there is a breed of horned sheep 
at once the most ancient, valuable, and purest of all the native 
breeds, namely the Dorset and Somerset horned stock, which have 
been always celebrated for yielding early lambs. When we first 
kept the Dorset breed in 1826 they were rather small, with a black 
speckled nose ; these, however, have been merged in the large and 
splendid horned sheep called the Somerset with pink noses and 
most correct form, with excellent quality, good wool, and the 
carcase wide, long, and deep. They have also the character of 
being the best of mothers for rearing lambs, and will rear a 
greater number of twins than any other description of sheep. 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse Labour .—The harvesting of grain and pulse crops and also 
the crops of second growth of Clover will engage both men and 
horses, for in nearly every district the cutting of corn, Ac., with the 
reaping machine will be proceeding. There is, however, in various 
parts of the kingdom a considerable portion of the cereal crops so 
beaten down and damaged by storms that the scythe and fagging 
hook must be resorted to for harvest work, thus increasing the cost 
of cutting and tying. In some districts haying and harvesting will 
be going on simultaneously, thus making it both for men and horses 
an unusually busy period. The crops of Clover and grasses of every 
kind are very heavy and gross, and it has lately been found that 
sheep and cattle, the former especially, have become very relaxed 
whilst feeding thereon ; but in those instances where Saintfoin, and 
particularly the giant variety, has been seeded with the Clovers, 
that it has through its aromatic and peculiar qualities had the effect 
of greatly diminishing or preventing diarrheea. In the future we 
recommend the home farmer to substitute Saintfoin for the Rye 
grasses ; this will not only prove a valuable alternation of seeding, but 
improve the quality and facilitate the making of hay wherever the 
farm is situated, so that a ready sale of vegetable produce can be 
effected. The growth of some of the late varieties of Peas is worth 
attention, for we have seen some extremely fine samples in the pod 
sold at a high price. The Potato crop is now attracting great atten¬ 
tion in consequence of the extraordinary luxuriance of the haulm, 
especially in the Magnum Bonum and Scotch Champion varieties, 
and until within the past few days these have in most districts been 
found free from the disease, but now we have to report a most serious 
loss by the growing-out or sprouting of the tubers, and likewise an 
attack of the old disease. The sprouting of the tubers will prevent 
their sale ; we therefore recommend the farmer to use them as food 
for the dairy cows, and mixed with bran it has been proved to furnish 
butter of better quality than any other food except grass in good 
condition. Bran is comparatively dear, but on various farms a portion 
of the last year’s Wheat crop is still in store ; and as the sale for it 
will be worse than ever, in the face of a crop of excellent grain of 
this year’s growth it may be well to crush the old light Wheat, and 
employ it as food in connection with Potatoes for all animals in the 
stalls. Two feeds per day may be given to the dairy cows at milking 
time as a supplement to the grass in the pastures, and in lieu of the 
purchase of oil cake and other artificial feeding stuffs. The Potato 
haulm may be cut with the scythe and carted away for pigs in the 
farmyard and be trodden into manure, the Potatoes being lifted with 
the Potato plough and used as soon as lifted. 
Hand Labour .—The men will be engaged in harvest work chiefly ; 
but the second crops of Clover must be cut and stacked, for it will be 
all required, as so large a portion of the first cutting has been damaged 
or spoilt, and upon some farms there will be a scarcity of hay. We 
have on former occasions spoken of the plan where straw is plentiful 
of using it in layers in making a rick of Clover hay, because if the 
hay is carted rather green, it will heat and impart an aroma to the 
straw, and make it a valuable substitute for feeding when cut into 
chaff for horses, cows, and cattle in the boxes. Instead of laying the 
straw loose in the rick, we prefer to tie it into trusses, as it will then 
not only bear the weight of the Clover without slipping, but will 
