The Hickman courier., 1873-02-15
Agricultural.
The Old English Breeds of Sheep.

The Old English Breeds of Sheep.
The Norfolk sheep were indigenous
in the countries of Norfolk and Suffolk.
The horns were large and spiral the
bodies long; the loins narrow with a
high back and thin chine ; the legs long,
black or gray. They were OF wild,
rowing disposition, and not easily con-
fined within any but strong Enclosures.
The wool of the original breed was
short, and the fleece weighed from two
to two and half pounds.
The agile form of these sheep, ena-
bling them to move over large space
of ground with little labor, was vast
advantage to the old Norfolk farmers,
many OF whom were possessed of large
Spacts of heathland, which they had no
means of bringing into cultivation ex-
cept by the assistance of the fold. MIR.
Marshall characterizes them, in his ac-
count of the Norfolk husbandry, as be-
ing singularly well adapted to the soil
and system of management prevalent in
that country, thriving upon heath and
barren sheep-walks, where nlne-tenths
of the breeds in the kingdom would
starve, standing the fold perfectly well,
vet fattening freely at two years old,
and bearing the journey to distant mar
kets with comparative ease. Mr.. Kent,
in his survey of the same country, has
been equally warm in their praise; yet,
notwithstanding testimonials in their
favor, they have long been giving way
to the Southdown or Sussex-down, or
Norfolk and Oxford-down breeds, and
the old Norfolks are a nearly extinct
race.
The Wiltshire breed were distin-
guished by large spiral horns bending
downwards, close to the head They
were perfectly white in their faces and
legs; and long Roman noses, with large
open nostrils; were wide and heavy in
the headquarters, and light in the fore
quarter and offal. The quality of the
fleece was that of clothing wool or mod
crate fneness, averaging nearly three
pounds in weight; and the carcasses OF
the weathers, when fat, usually weighed
from 20 to 80 pounds.
This breed has now nearly disap-
peared. 1t was first improved by the
Southdowns, and it has been crossed SO
frequently with that breed, that it be
come almost a Southdown, or differs
only from the true Southdown in Its
increased size, lighter color, and finer
fleece.
The Dorset breed are horned. The
ram has Il singular long convoluted
horn, and is entirely white. The chest
is deep, and the loins broad. The WOO
of the pure breed is of am interme
diate kind between long and short
and of middling fineness, weighing
about four pounds per fleece; an6
the carcass averages eighteen pounds
per quarter of excellent mutton Greaf
numbers of Southdown sheep have beer
introduced into this country, but IN the
neichborhood of Dorchester the origina
breed retain their native character
They are a hardy race, being chief,
bred on open downs, and Injured to tn,
fold; but their principal value consists
in the peculiar forwardness of the ewes
who take the ram at an earlier perioC
than any other species, and are there
fore much sought for, and comman,
high prices, for the purpose of produc
ing house-lamb for winter consumption
They viii often take the ram so early a
April.
There is a variety of the Dorset bree'
in Dean Forest, and on the Mendi1
Hills. He is a small compact animal
that would thrive on the poorest soil
In both situations, however, and particu
larly on the Mendip Hills, the sheep ar
materially changed since the progress
of inclosure. The Buckland, the Lei
cesters, and the Southdowns, now occu
py the greater part of these once vii,
tracts.
These old breeds have now bee
greatly improved, by the introductio
of rams from the different fiocks of wei
bred sheep, for which Great Britain
so famous all over the civilized world
Sheep breeding has always receive
more attention in England than in tn
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