Worcester daily spy., 1859-09-08
JONAS WEBB,s SOUTH DOWNS.

The Mark Lane Express of June 9th con-
tains an account of a visit to Babraham, the
residence of the worldrenowned breeder of
South-downs, Mr.. Jonas Webb's herd of 142
head Of shorthorns, the writer says:
"Before we sailed forth again to the two
outlying farms, we turned for slight interlude
from beef to mutton. Even in our short-horn
researches in the Home farm, the embodiment
of the latter was always in view, in the shape
of "Derby" reduced twothirds, and doing
duty as weathercock, on the top of the old
barn The leg of mutton point on which he
was so great has certainly been made the most
of by the modeller but it comes out in all its
strength in many of his descendants among
the July yearlngs. The old long-horned
Norfolk rams, whose narrow backs and sharp
spines proved such a very uncomfortable seat
for Mr. Webb, when he used to ride them in
his boyhood, at West Wickham, and set him
a-thinking in his maturer years, live only in
story at Babraham now; and not one even is
kept as a relic of the dark ages. The South
down flock at present consists Of about 400,
and about 1000 lambs as well Originally
there were three tribes but fourth and fifth
have been added and Mr.. Webb never hires
rams, as he can now always keep the blood
sufficiently distinct without it. In number the
tribes are nearly equal, and they have all pro-
duced prize sheep, and about 40 rams for let
fifteen days from iambing, and upwards of 200
ram lambs are retained each year. Besides
the elaborate ear marks, and divers others on
the shoulder and hip, they have cabiistc
crosses of green above yellow, blue above red,
and so on, on their sides, which tell their de-
scent at glance to their owners eye; and
furnish an unfliling clue, when they rise to
ram hogget estate and are ripe for entry in
the Flock Book All the feeces are weighed,
nd do mn To, Z he
hoggets are sold to go abroad. The Old Ba.
braham shearlings nearly all averaged 8 lbs,
and although the late mild winter and spring
was not favorable to the growth Of wool, the
majority of the ieeces this year have touched
it, The nature of the soil is, moreover, not pc
culiarly favorable to wool, as it is grayelly, and
almost fine enough for an hour-glass; and the
sand rather prevents the grease from getting
through the fieeces. Mr.. Webb never sells
ewes in England: he has a few from twelve to
thirteen years old, and he has bred from them
at fourteen, but the rams are seldom let be-
yond their seventh season; and the heaviest of
them have killed at so lbs. a quarter. The
losses among the breeding ewes are calculated
at about one in twenty and as the difficulty
of breeding is much enhanced by the want of
grass, Mr.. Webb has had anything but May
game of it, in bringing his flock to their present
position. Two lots of yearling rams, making
Warwick Royal Selection, on some seeds be-
hind the house. They were principally by the
prize old sheep and the first and second prize
yearlings at Salisbury and we found on in
quiry, that the second prize old sheep has
gone to America. Plenipo, who was year
ling in 1884, when his great chestnut namesake
and neighbor was in his zenith sweled the
tide of Southdown success for Mr.. Webb and
the Gentleman, Clumber, Liverpool Shrews-
VA.,,l
the Captain, and Old Uncertain, &C., have
never suffered it to ebb. There was Fancy
Boy, also who was never let, and hung
himself in early life in fence; Perfection, the
sire of The Captain, for whom Mr.. Lugar's
offer Of $50 guineas as yearling was refused /;
Dictator, who elected a like answer; and
Windsor Castle, the conqueror of his half
brother at Windsor, who received the name of
the Queens Own, from her Majesty's express
sion of dissatisfaction at the verdict, though
the royal prerogative was not potent to reverse
it. Fifty yearlings for letting were busy on
the yellow globe mangel in another paddock
and two renowned heroes, to wit, Old Duke
and Young Plenipo, were rallied off in state at
one end. The latter has the Babraham flock
blood i'll him for ten generations on the dams
side; and Mr.. Webb valued him so highly,
that, n spite of 200 guinea offer, he kept him
for two seasons, and let him last year for the
first time. Old Duke is five years old, and has
achieved 410 guineas at three lettings. In one
of them, Mr.. Henry Overman bid 169 guineas,
and the Duke of Richmond made it even
money and got him, The pasture behind the
fold-yard was full of Old Dukes descendants
and Young Captain, the flock patriarch Of the
Emperor of the French, who hired three last
year, could also claim hand in some Of the
ninety couples of glorious legs Of mutton which
scampered off at our approach.
1t would have been strange indeed five had
not 'drooped and turned aside once more from
the shorthorns, to visit flock of 300 ewes and
lambs, before we proceeded on to the North
farm. The dam of Young Norwich and Young
Plenipo needed no pointing out, as the veriest
tyro ought to have challenged her as "a mother
of the Gracchi and there was also the dam
of the 1877 guinea ram by Young Elegance
with ram lamb by son of Young Plenpo al
her side, which bids fair to be as good South
down King in its turn"