rrpAARIU. 
VOL. XXVII. No. as. ^ 
WHOLE No. laai. ) 
NEW YORK, AND ROCHESTER, N. Y„ JUNE 21, 1873, 
r Entered according to Act of Congress, in tho year 1873, by D. D. T. Moom^ inTho office of the Librarian "of CongressTat Washington.] 
t PRTCE SIX CENTS 
1 *2.50 PBR YEA It. 
heep gusskralrj. 
SHROPSHIRE SHEEP. 
Although a comparatively recent breed, 
these valuable sheep are probably more 
widely distributed than any others, und mer¬ 
it increasing patronage, as they possess many 
sterling qualities, which it is the object of 
the present paper to describe. Although 
moderns in their improved character, tho 
original stocks were the Longmynds in 
Shropshire, and the denizens of Cannock 
Chase in Staffordshire. Plymley thus de¬ 
scribes the sheep :—“ There is a breed of 
sheep on the Lnngmynd with horns and 
black faces that seem an indigenous sort; 
they are nimble, hardy, and weigh near 10 lbs. 
per quarter when fatted. The fleeces upon 
the average may yield 3>.< lbs,, of which 
lb. will be the breechens or coarse wool, and 
is sold distinct from tho rest. The farmers of 
the hill country seem to think the greatest 
advantage they derive from the access of 
foreign stock is from the cross of the South¬ 
down with the Longmynd sheep ; the pro¬ 
duce they state to be as hardy and to bite as 
close as the Dongmynd sheep, and the weight 
of the carcass is increased.” Flymley’s work 
was published in 1803; and, after such evi¬ 
dence, it is surprising that any one should 
contend for the purity of tho Hhropshires. 
Mr. II. Evekshed, in his essay on Stafford¬ 
shire, describes the dry surface of Cannock 
Chase, and its good climate, as favoring a 
heavier heath-sheep than occurs elsewhere, 
The original sheep had a short, light fleece of 
about 3 lbs., and a carcass which might be 
fattened at three years old to eight or nine 
stone. Their descendants, while retaining 
the same hardy character, are much larger, 
mature earlier, yield a heavy fleece, and a 
frame weighing ten stone at thirteen months 
without extraordinary treatment. We have 
quoted these authorities in order to show 
that it is to tho Southdown chiefly, though 
uot entirely, that (lie present form and char¬ 
acter of the Shropshire are due ; indeed, 
about the only objection that can be urged 
against the breed is that, although for the 
last twenty years it has received much atten¬ 
tion, there is still a lack of uniformity, Al¬ 
though we trust this is now rapidly disap¬ 
pearing, as breeders are at last tolerably 
agreed ns to the particular type that is most 
desirable. The variety could only be ac¬ 
counted for by the supposition that different 
crosses and different proportions had been 
tried, und we thfuk there is no doubt this 
lias been the case. 
Of the earlier breeders, we must single out 
for special notice Mr. Samuel Meire and Mr. 
Ggorge Adney as men who, pursuing a dif¬ 
ferent practice, laid tho foundation of the 
present breed, M r. Meiiie was a good judge 
of stock, and set to work upon the coarse 
Shropshire, going chiefly l'or three points— 
straight spine with well-sprung ribs, oblique 
shoulders, and good rumps. These points 
could not be obtained by cultivation or se¬ 
lection alone, und Mr. Metre introduced the 
Houthdowns, buying or hiring rams from the 
late Mr. J. Ellmann of Glymle. Aptitude 
to feed, with the short back and chine, were 
derived from a cross of Leicester blood intro¬ 
duced with great judgment. Having thus 
obtained what he desired, Mr. Meire endeav¬ 
ored to fix the same by close breeding. That 
his sheep possessed much constitutional vigor 
is proved by the history of his celebrated 
ram, Magnum Bonum, who served for eleven 
seasons, his dam living to be twenty years 
old. He was the sire of Perfection, used by 
Mr. Foster of Kinver Hill, which gob the 
first-prize shearling at Chester. At the same 
Bhow Mr, Foster secured both prizes for 
ewuH ; the first prize pen bred by Mr. Me ire, 
and described in catalogue “as two 11 years 
3 months and 3 weeks old, two 9 years 8 
months and 3 weeks old, and one 7 years 3 
months and 3 weeks old ; pen of live Shrop¬ 
shire Down ewes, dark brown face and legs.” 
Mr. Adney pursued quite a different plan 
to Mr. Meire ; he stuck foe lie Shropshire as 
ho found them, making hi* Improvements by 
selection j lus judgment was undoubtedly 
good. IDs most fortunate investment was 
the purchase of Buckskin, as a lamb, from 
Mr. Farmer, a celebrated breeder of his 
time. Buckskin was descended from a South- 
down cross, and if the picture representing 
Mr. Adnev and his sheep is a likeness, this 
was evident in his fine, rather flat head, and 
gray character. Old Patentee was by Buck¬ 
skin, being a twin out of a ewe bred by Mr. 
Adney ; he did not follow his sire, having a 
large, plain, and dark head ; he was an ex¬ 
traordinary getter, and his blood exists in 
every Shropshire flock of any note. 
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