23S 
COTSWOLD SHEEP. 
tinguishes the citizens of Wisconsin, it is their 
clear-sighted activity and intelligent enterprise, 
which insure the general adoption of the best 
breeds of domestic animals, the latest improve¬ 
ments in implements, and the most approved sys¬ 
tems of husbandry, unshackled by the narrow¬ 
minded objections, and the clogging influences of 
legendary prejudices. Here we see the novel com¬ 
bination of one of our most recently settled states, 
more highly advanced as a whole, in an agricul¬ 
tural point of view, than any other portion of the 
Union. This youngest sister of ours seems to have 
burst into existence, like Minerva from the head 
of Jupiter, mature in wisdom and arts. The 
world does not afford an example of a country 
springing at once, as if by a single bound, from a 
state of uncultivated nature, into one of such sud¬ 
den and complete civilization. 
R. L. Allen. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
COTSWOLD SHEEP. 
Hereford Hall, near Albany, 
August 10th, 1843. 
When the Cotswold sheep first came into no¬ 
tice in England as early feeders, the Leicester 
men were strongly opposed to them, which was a 
good omen of their bein^ something superior. It 
is true they originated from large, coarse, shape¬ 
less animals ; but their quality of flesh and heavy 
fleeces were sufficient indication for a scientific 
breeder, to exercise his skill in improving their 
symmetry. 
Mr. William Hewer, Senr., was the first person 
under my observation that undertook it to any ex¬ 
tent. Although no breeder in the United King¬ 
dom made more rapid improvement, he had a 
long up-hill course to run ; but his courage and 
‘perseverance during this time never failed him. 
He made it his constant care and study, and was 
highly delighted when he recovered a bad point, 
and I will venture to say, that three fourths of the 
Leicester flocks are now mixed with his Cotswold 
blood; and the farmers have been well satisfied 
with the produce. 
I have long been an eye-witness to the improve¬ 
ments made in Oxfordshire, from rams of his 
breeding, for I purchased for eight successive 
years from five to fifteen shearlings yearly, for my 
father and neighbors. Our flocks were mostly of 
the finer bred Leicesters, and we were obliged to 
keep our wethers two years before we could fat 
them, or sell them as store tegs to the jobbers or 
graziers. After the introduction of William Hew¬ 
er’s rams into this country, the farmers generally 
sent their tegs to market bare shorn, twelve or 
thirteen months old, and sold them for more 
money than they previously did with their fleeces 
on, at the same age, and the same mode of keep¬ 
ing. Mr. Hewer had been working hard for many 
ears to improve, and selected but very few of his 
est lambs to sell by private contract, before he 
commenced his annual ram sales. He soon ob¬ 
tained heavy rumps, wide briskets, long faces and 
ears, but found it very difficult to secure fat backs, 
and level crops. The first sale I attended, I pur¬ 
chased two to put to my father’s ewes; I paicf 
twenty-one guineas for one, and eleven for the 
other. The former was an excellent sheep, there 
were but few points I wanted to alter; he was a 
little high in his loins, deficient in his legs, (but 
here our ewes were good,) and rather coarser in 
the bone than I wished. I particularly wanted a 
good rump, level crop, long face and ears; these 
I had, and most other points accompanying them, 
which a breeder should always look to, and not 
lose three or four points to gain one. The latter 
had many deficient points; but the principal one 
was his crop, a very difficult one to improve, and 
a very important one to the breeder. This is a 
point I look to beyond all others, I think it is a 
true indication of bad quality, exorbitant consu¬ 
mers, and slow feeders. Give me a “ straight 
bottom, and a straight to/>,”with a mellow touch, 
and I can soon improve the rest. No animal can 
come to market early with a bad crop and a heavy 
paunch, this I know from experience, which I 
will state hereafter. 
Mr. Hewer refused one hundred guineas for the 
use of one sheep for this season. The average of 
Mr. H.’s sale appearing in the country papers 
brought many farmers to examine mine, they be¬ 
ing the first that had made their appearance in 
that part of the country. I was proud of them I 
will allow, and might have “ boasted” a little, 
being young, and glorying in the “ best.” The 
highest priced sheep was very much admired ; the 
other was not despised; the price was the only 
difficulty. Five to six pounds was the extent the 
farmers were then in the habit of giving. One 
wanted to put one or two ewes, another, three or 
four to get a tup lamb, but I refused all, put the 
best to eighty of the best ewes, the other to thirty 
culls. I never saw such an improvement as the 
best sheep made; he paid the extra price in e&tra 
quality the first season, for I sold thirty-seven 
wether tegs of his getting, (bare shorn,) at Smith- 
field, for one and sixpence per head more than I 
sold the spring previous with their wool on, and 
their fleeces weighed four to the tod, an average 
of seven pounds each. I sold the wool that season 
at one pound twelve and sixpence per tod; the 
thirty-seven fleeces amounting to fifteen pounds 
and sixpence; one and sixpence per head more 
than the previous year, (without any rise in mutton 
and store stock,) made two pounds fifteen shillings 
and sixpence, which left the extra quality of five 
ram tegs, and forty-four ewes to pay for first cost 
of ram; a balance of only four pounds fourteen 
shillings. I sold the get of the other sheep with 
their wool on, not being fit for market, for a little 
more money than the sheared ones, because their 
size was increased, and suited the eye of the gra¬ 
zier, but their crops were bad, and they wanted 
time and rich pasture before sent to market, which 
the Buckinghamshire graziers could give them. 
This opened the eyes of the Oxfordshire farmers. 
I attended the next sale, and my lambs being so 
much better than my neighbors’, I had a com¬ 
mission to purchase five. The third sale I pur¬ 
chased thirteen, and there were twenty-three 
came into the county of Oxford. Since that time 
nearly all the long-wool sheep in that county are 
