>hecjr g«skn£rg. 
EXMOOR SHEEP. 
In the far corner of West Somerset, En¬ 
gland, sea-girt on the one side at Minehead 
and Pollock, and bordering North Devon on 
the other, is a wild tract of mountainous 
country, the greater portion of which still 
consists of open, uncultivated commons, bear¬ 
ing little else but heather, the home of the 
blackcock and wild deer. But a race of 
mountain sheep has always been native to 
the region as far back as either history or 
tradition will cany us, no one being able to 
tell whence it came. Probably, however, the 
Exmoor, as the breed is most popularly called, 
had origin from the same ancient stock as 
the Portland, and even the Dorset, for the 
sheep that once existed on the Mcndip Hills 
seemed a connecting link between them. 
You att, in comparing the Mendip sheep 
with the Dorset, states that the former would 
lamb quite as early, and bear two crops a 
year if required, but that they had smaller 
horns, white countenances, and were more 
diminutive in size; and he adds, “thesesheep 
appear - to be an intermediate race between 
the Exmoor and the Dorset.” Those desirous 
of tracing the family resemblauce further 
may be informed that Exmoor ewes are 
frequently applied to the production of fat 
lambs ; while, if fed well, they are bountiful 
In doublets and sometimes triplets, which 
they are usually allowed to rear, being the 
veiy best of nurses. 
As to points, a loading breeder, says :—“ I 
take It the chief merits of Exinoors lie in 
their round barrels and good constitution, 
with fine-flavored mutton and fair quantity 
of wool.” The late II. II, Dixon enumerated 
them as follows A very strong constitu 
tion, which will bear being buried in a snow¬ 
drift for several days ; a line, curly horn ; a 
broad, square loin ; round ribs ; a drum-like 
and not a square carcass on short legs ; and 
a close-set fleece, with wool well up to the 
cheeks.” To the above description it may be 
added that they possess white faces, legs, and 
fleeces, and have been termed “the little 
white ivories;” but, although they stand 
tolerably well on their fore legs, there is a 
failing point behind the shoulder, and none, 
even of the improved sheep we have yet 
%een, girth particularly well there. They 
are also rather indifferent about the neck. 
The elevated mountain ranges, which are 
from 1000 to 1800 feet above the sea level, are 
intersected by narrow, circuitous valleys, 
when' the farms and hamlets appear. These 
valleys are tolerably fertile in their nature, 
and cultivation often extends far up the hill¬ 
sides by the agency of the turn wrist plow. 
Catch-water meadows are also formed wher¬ 
ever a trickling stream can be utilized, and 
luxuriant verdure always follows in the train 
of irrigation here. 
AhtiIUR Young, in “Annals of Agricul¬ 
ture” for 1704, mukes a passing allusion to 
Exmoor sheep, which had been brought un¬ 
der his notice in a visit to Monksilver. Ho 
states that they wore at that period sold at 
South Molton market as hoggets, at from !)s. 
to His. each, and, after heing kept on the hills 
two or three years for the annual profit of 
their fleeces, they were fattened on turnips, 
and sold without their fleeces, the average 
weight of which was 8 lb. to 4 lb., and that 
of their carcasses Hi lb. per quarter. The 
weight of the fleece is about one pound heav¬ 
ier now, with which exception this descrip¬ 
tion will apply to the present period. Brr.i,- 
inowliht, in ids survey of Somerset furnished 
to the. iVru'tl of Agriculture, gives a very 
similar account, adding thereto the follow¬ 
ing:—“Though these sheep in appearance 
are vastly inferior to those before described 
I (the old Burapton breed), being in their youth 
subject to a precarious subsistence on the 
forests and hills, it is the opinion of many 
sensible farmers that they are .altogether as 
profitable stock.” 
Mr. J. M. King, Jr., of Steart, Dumter, 
has allorded some valuable information as to 
the present management of Exmoor flocks. 
He says :—“ The usual period of lambing is 
from March to the middle of April, and the 
weaning takes place about mid-summer. 
They are turned on to tho hills early in the 
spring, and many of them remain there the 
whole year round, the only time they are got 
in being for shearing and weaning, the latter 
of which is effected by keeping the lambs for 
some weeks in the iueloaures. .The Exmoor 
is a larger, higher quality, and in every 
respect better animal than the Welsh, and 
has been much improved in the last fifteen 
years. Stores command very high prices, 
and have advanced 25 to 80 per cent, in value 
during the last two years. Winsford Fair, 
held about the middle of August, would be 
about the likeliest place to obtain them. 
The demand for the rams is limited, as the 
breed can scarcely be considered one for 
general use ; but still much core and atten¬ 
tion have of late years been bestowed upon 
it, and good rams often fetch from ten to 
fifteen guineas.” 
NEW YORK, AND ROCHESTER, N. Y., AUG. 23, 1873. 
(Entered according to Act of Congress, In the year 1873, by D. D. T. Moore, in tho office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.] 
EXMOOR SHEEP. 
VOL. XXVIII. No. 8i. I 
WHOLE No. 1*230. ) 
t PRICE SIX CENTS. 
1 #2.50 PER YEAR. 
