The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1859-09-22
SEPI. % 80.
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Jonas Webb's South Downs.

dence of the world renowned breeder of South
downs, Mr. Jonas Webb. After lengthy ac-
count of Mr.. Webb's herd of 142 head of Short
horns, the writer says:
'Before we sailed forth again to the two ont
lying 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 two-thirds, and doing dutv
as weathercock, on the top of the old barn.
Theleg of mutton point on which he was so great,
has certainly been made the most of by the Mod
eller but it comes out in all its strength in
many of his descendants among the July year
lings. The old long horned Norfolk rams,
whose narrow backs and sharp spines proved
such 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 ma
turer years, live only in story at Babraham now;
and not one even is kept as reict 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 a fourth
and fifth have been added and Mr. Webb new
er hires rams, as he can now always keep the
blood sufficiently distinct without it. In num-
Der the tribes are nearly equal, and they have
all produced prize sheep and at present there
are from 100 to l4O rams, forlettng next month
The selection is made within fifteen days from
landing, and upwards of 200 ram lambs are re-
tanned each year. Besides the elaborate ear
marks, and divers others on the shoulder and
hip, they have cabalistic crosses of green above
yellow, blue above red, and so on, on their sides,
which tell their descent at glance to their own
er's eye and furnish an unfalng clue when
they rise to ram hogget estate, and are ripe for
entry in the Flock Book All the feeces are
weighed and if they do not come up to lbs
the eve hoggets are sold to go abroad. The
Old Babraham shearings nearly all averaged
lbs, and although the late mild winter and
spring.was not favorable to the growth of wool,
the majority of the feeces this year have touched
it. The nature of the soil is, moreover not pc
culiarly favorable to wool, as it is gravelly and
almost fine enough for an hour-glass; and the
sand rather prevents the grease from getting
through the feeces. Mr. Webb never sells
ewes in England; he has few from twelve to
thirteen years old, and he has bred from them
at fourteen, but the rams are seldom let beyond
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 some forty in
all, were in training for the final Warwick Roy
al Selection on some seeds behind the house.
They were principally by the prize old sheep
and the first and second prize yearlings at Sails
bury; and we found, on inquiry, that the second
prize old sheep has gone to America. Plenipo,
who was yearling in 1884, when his great
chestnut namesake and neighbor was in his zen
18th, swelled the tide of South down success for
Mr. Webb; and The Gentleman, Clumber Liv-
erpool Shrewsbury, Derby, Young Elegance
Gloucester The Captain and Old Uncertain
&c, have never suffered it to ebb There was
Fancy Boy, also, who was never let, and hung
himself i'll early life in fence; Perfection. the
sire of The Captain, for whom Mr.. Lugar's Of
fer of $50 guineas as yearling was refused
Dictator, who elected a like answer; and Wind
sor Castle, the conqucror of his half-brotber at
Windsor, who received the name of the Queens
Own, from her Maiesty's expression of dissatis
faction at the verdict, though the royal preroga
tive was not potent to reverse it. Fifty yearl-
ings for letting were busy on the yellow man
gel IN another paddock; and two renowned he
roes, to-wit, Old Duke and Young Pleni-
pc, were rallied off in state at one end. The lat
ter has the Babraham blood in him for ten genera
tionS on the dams side; and Mr. Webb valued
him so highly, that, in spite of 200 guinea Of
fer, ne kept him for two seasons, and let him
last year for the first time Old Duke is FIVE
years old, and has achieved 4l0 guineas at three
lettings. In one of them Mr. Henry Over
man bid l69 guineas, and the Duke of Rich
mond 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 if we had
not dropped and turned aside F" once more from
the short-horns, to visit flock of 800 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 yeriest tyro