Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-04-23
Breeds of sheen,

A correspondent of the National Live
Stock Journal asked for ga full and
fair description of the Cotswold, Lei
cesters and Lincoln sheep" This is
the reply;
The Leicester is usually placed
at the head of the long wool breeds
as being the finest in form and
fleece, end also because it has
been largely used in crossing
for the improvement of the other va
rieties.
The head is hornless, and rather long
and narrow; ears thin, with spots of
blueish tinge. The long, well-cut ear
of the pure Leicester, with its spright.
ly backward inclination, is distin-
gushing characteristic of the breed,
as is also the full, prominent eye, with
quiet and lively expression. The
face and forehead must be bare of wool,
though covered with fine coat of hair
white, with a little inclination to
the blueish tint.
The body is straight, with ribs well
sprung and barrel shaped the belt in
cllned to be thin; the wool exceeding
ly soft, fine and lustrous, end should
The extremities-muzzle and legs
are exceedingly fine, but the quarters
are full and wide, with back broad and
level. Indeed, the carcass of true
Leicester sheep is as near perfection in
form as can be conceived possible.
| The Cotswold, though of late years
modified by the crosses of the Leices-
ter breed, and, therefore, strongly re.
sembling that breed, is somewhat
coarser and longer in carcass; with a
heavier fleece, which should be as lus-
trous, though not so fine as the Leices-
ter. The head is larger, and must have
| q tuft of wool on the forehead, which
| the Leicester never has.
The Lincoln Is as large as the Cots
void, though in other respects, as now
bred, very strongly resembling the Lei
cester. The head is long, the face mar
row and bare of wool, with white fine
hair and light blush tint as in the Lei
cester. They stand rather higher on
| the leg than the two varieties before
| less symmetrical; but the fleece is
longer and heavier, and though not
quite so fine as the Leicester, is unsur-
passed in luster, and, therefore, COM
mands the best prices in the markets.
| It is difficult to describe animals SO
as to enable person to determine the
pure breeds from the mongrel indeed,
the best judges are not always able to
| detect the presence of light dash OF
inferior blood.
One thing the producer may re1y
upon, that long-wool sheep peddIed
about the country at low prices are
never pure bred. Indeed, blooded
stock of all sorts should be purchased
| by parties that are known as reputable
| breeders-this is the only reliable secu-
rity the purchaser can have that the
animal purchased will turn out what it
is represented to be. -ss ...
The Southdown sheep has a broad,
rather short, though exceedingly neat
| head forehead covered with wool, and
the face and legs with grey and brown
hair. The fleece is rather short, of
good felting quality, equal to half
blood Merino, but superior for flannel,
ETC., and should be solid and compact,
and of uniform quality throughout,
without projecting hairs.
The carcass should be straight, with
well-sprung ribs and broad, level back,
having wide quarters, deep flock and
well packed twist. This being held in
higher esteem than any other breed for
the production Of superior mutton, the
full and perfect development Of carcass
is deemed of the highest Importance.
The Hampshire Downs are coarser in
form and fleece, with black faces and
legs.
The Shropshire Downs are a cross
breed between the Southdowns and
Longwools "a large breed, with long
coarse wool, in form resembling the
Cotswold, with black faces and legs.
In regard to this matter of the color
of the faces and legs, it is remarkable
that while the Southdowns, which
stand at the head of all these varieties,
have. as before observed, brown OF
grey colors in these parts-their
crosses on other breeds will frequently
how black faces and legs.
When the object is to keep small
flock for mutton, rams of this variety
are found exceedingly profitable to
cross on ewes of almost any other breed.
But the nearer they go to the pure