point to the Southdown as the best “ all round ” sheep we have. It is a 
hardy little animal, with a tight fleece, which enables it to live out of 
doors the year round, and with a constitution which enables it to keep 
fat on next to nothing. As a mutton sheep it is unexcelled. Its fleece 
classes among the middle grades—not too fine nor too coarse. Pure- 
blood Southdown wool makes nice, smooth, yarn, having good felting 
qualities, plenty of elasticity, and lasts well. 
THE SHROPSHIRE. 
This is an English breed of sheep that has taken kindly to its new 
home, and is also a valuable product of both wool and mutton. The 
Shropshire is the product of cross-breeding the sheep of that shire or 
county with the oldest improved breeds, the Southdowns and Leicester. 
The union of these improved breeds resulted in the formation of a new 
breed partaking of the characteristics of each; thus the Shropshire has 
the size of the Leicester, the form of the Southdown, and the fleece is a 
combination of both, slightly coarser than that of the Southdown, and 
shorter than the Leicester. The fleece also carries more oil than the 
Southdown. The flesh of the Shropshire is dense, and its mutton is re¬ 
garded as second only to the Southdown. They are also exceedingly 
THE SHROPSHIRE. 
prolific, and handle their young better than any large breed of sheep. 
They are also hardy and well adapted to endure a wet climate. Rams 
of this breed can be used to advantage in crossing inferior classes of sheep. 
The character of the wool in many flocks of common sheep could 
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