1875.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
217 
The Beacon Downs. 
The importance of giving attention to the breed¬ 
ing of classes of sheep which will be adapted 
to the needs of the various localities of the United 
States, has been frequently referred to. The 
Merino has been im¬ 
proved until it suits our 
purpose in some dis¬ 
tricts, but that purpose 
is wool of a certain 
grade only. Where 
there is a demand for 
coarse or long wools, 
or for mutton, different 
classes of sheep are re¬ 
quired. We want a 
sheep larger than the 
Southdown, but of 
equal quality for mut¬ 
ton, and with a heavier 
fleece; and one finer 
than the coarse fleece 
of the pure Cotswold. 
The Lincoln and Lei¬ 
cester do not seem to 
be adapted to our cli¬ 
mate or methods of 
agriculture, and are out 
of the race. We have 
the Cotswold and 
Southdown, but these 
fill only a very small 
part of our needs. In 
Great Britain there are 
some thirteen distinct 
breeds, which occur to 
us as we write, each of 
which is paramount in its own exclusive domain, 
and yet that country is smaller than any one of 
several of our states, and but very little larger than 
the State of New York. How much greater scope 
then is there with us, with our immense territory, 
marked by great diversity of soil, climate, and sur¬ 
face, for a much greater diversity of character in 
our sheep. Unfortunately our sheep have been 
deteriorating instead of improving, and our so- 
called native sheep, while they present variety 
enough, their difference is mainly in degree of infe¬ 
riority. As an illustration of a praiseworthy effort 
to meet the want referred to, we give the accom¬ 
panying portrait of a sheep from a flock raised by 
Mr. Crozier, of Bea¬ 
con Farm, which 
were produced by 
a cross between an 
imported Southdown 
ewe and the Cots¬ 
wold ram, Kingston, 
imported in 1868. 
This ram is a choice 
animal, and has been 
the winner of many 
prizes in England,Ca¬ 
nada, and the United 
States. The original 
parents of these 
sheep were well se¬ 
lected and of choice 
quality. The cross 
was made in 1868, 
and the produce of 
this ewe and ram, 
have been bred in- 
and-in with the re¬ 
sult of producing a 
sheep of which the 
engraving is an exact 
representation. So 
far these sheep have 
exhibited good con¬ 
stitution, and pro¬ 
duce a heavy fleece of combing wool, much supe¬ 
rior in quality to, and of equal weight with that of 
the pure Cotswold, and much closer and denser 
upon the sheep’s back, while they yield a carcass 
of mutton as good as, and one-half larger than that 
of the pure Southdown. Mr. Crozier states 
that he has none of these sheep to dispose of, 
as he intends to breed them for two years longer, 
until assured that he has a standard breed. He 
gives to them the name of “Beacon Downs.” We 
hope Mr. Crozier will realize his anticipations, and 
that more of our intelligent breeders will turn 
their efforts in the same direction. D must be re¬ 
membered, however, that a breed can only be pro¬ 
duced and thoroughly established, by long and skill¬ 
ful effort, and by the most judicious selection of pa¬ 
rents, with a very distinct idea of what is aimed at. 
The Middlesex Breed of Pigs. 
The pig which received the first “ prize of honor ” 
at the recent exhibition of fat animals at Paris, 
(France), was one of the Middlesex breed. Its 
portrait, here reproduced from a French journal, 
shows it to be a very flue specimen. The exhibition 
referred to, is held annually, under the auspices of 
the Minister of Agriculture and Commerce, for the 
reception of animals fattened for. the butcher, of 
living or dead poultry, of grains, of farm products 
destined for industrial processes, such as flax, hemp, 
hops, etc. ; fruits, fresh, dry, and preserved, fresh 
vegetables, honey and wax, cheese, butter, etc., as 
well as agricultural machines and implements. We 
take the opportunity of making this annual exhi¬ 
bition known to exhibitors in this country, as it may 
become an important means through which to 
make the great variety of such products raised by 
us extensively known 
abroad. By a decision 
of the Minister of Agri¬ 
culture, the next exhi¬ 
bition will be opened 
for the reception of the 
products above enu¬ 
merated, from the 14th 
to the 19th of February 
next, and will be open 
from the 19th to the 
23d of February, (1876), 
inclusive. The animal 
here represented, is a 
sow, white in color, 
aged less than one year, 
and weighing over 500 
pounds. She was bred 
from stock imported 
from England, by Mons. 
Emile Pavy, by M. 
Poisson, director of the 
“farm-school,” (agri¬ 
cultural college), of 
Laumoy, France. The 
extreme precocity of 
this race of pigs, is one 
! of its chief characteris- 
j tics, for it has long been 
known as a “ butchers 
prize ” pig,havingtaken 
premiums at the Smith- 
field (London) Club shows, several times since 1841. 
It is an offspring of the famous old Yorkshire 
breed, but has been subjected to a successful course 
of improvement, which certainly has not ceased 
to continue in operation under the hands of the 
French breeders. Whether or not this breed would 
fill a place in our agriculture, is not yet known. 
Yet from study of the points of this pig, it is 
easily seen that it possesses many valuable qualities. 
As an example of what may be done in the course 
of a few years in improving a race of pigs, it is 
noteworthy, more especially for those who are 
honestly endeavoring to build up a class or breed 
which has many good characteristics, such as our 
own Chester Whites. 
This class of pigs has 
unfortunately suffer¬ 
ed from ill-advised or 
.ignorant breeders, 
but if those interest¬ 
ed in its improve¬ 
ment, will honestly 
and skillfully work 
for a few years longer 
there is reason to 
hope that they may 
permanently estab¬ 
lish an excellent type. 
Although we have 
such excellent breeds 
as the Berkshire, 
Poland China, and 
Essex, yet these are 
either black or black 
and white, and there 
is a prejudice ei ist- 
ing amongst a large 
class of people in 
favor of white pigs, 
which makes it desir¬ 
able that we should 
possess at least more 
than one white breed 
of good character. 
This refers more especially to the neighborhood of 
the great eastern cities, where there is a demand for 
pigs rather than for hogs, and in which a rapidly 
maturing white pig of a pure breed, with small bone 
and offal, and a good meaty carcass, is needed. 
BEACON DOWN RAM.—BRED BY WM. CROZIER, OF BEACON FARM. 
FIRST PREMIUM MIDDLESEX SOW AT THE PARIS EXHIBITION. 
