The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1875-02-11
THE C0TSWOLD SHEEP.
Country Gonflnnnn

""N'P HAS come into gen
eral favor in the United States within n
few years, and short account of it's
origin and history, and few hints from
actual experience in the care and manage.
ment OF these sheep may not be useless
There is no other long-wooled breed so
useful for general introduction for the
purpose of crossing on the common ma
tive or grade sheep in all parts OF the
country, or on the smallfleeced Mexican
sheep so common at the Southwest The
lambs produced by such crosses are hardy,
OF good size, mature quickly, and yield
lair fleeccs OF medium combining wool
The use OF Cotswold ram in flock of
common sheep often doubles the value of
the lambs, even in the first cross.
Tho Cotswold is long established
breed, although, like all other breeds of
domestic animals now kept, they have
been greatly improved within the last
fifty years. Morton's Cyclopodia Of
Agriculture says that tho 'brecd Of Cots
void sheep is one of the Oldest in the
kingdom" In the year l34I the wool Of
this breed bore the highest price of any
wool whatever. So valued was this breed
that in "l464 present Of Cotswold rams
was made by EdwardIV to Henry Of
CASTLE, and in l46s another lot was sent
to John of Aragon' Since that time,
notwithstanding all the notifications pro
duced by skillful breeders, in common
with all other long woolcd breeds, the
Cotswold still holds cminence as po-
cularly adapted to rough pastures, and
exposure to cold and wet---thc conditions
applicable to the Cotswold hills. Morton
says OF these sheep that "they are heavier
than the Leicesters, but more active, and
more patient both Of cold and Of scanty
food. They are supposed to be 30 called
from tho cots, or sheds, in which they
are fed in the winter, and from the 'wolds,'
or hilly grounds, on which they were pas
tured in the summer"
They have been intermixed with the
Bakewell for Dishlcy) Leicester 10 great
er or less extent, for the purpose Of rem
dering the carcass less coarse and bony,
and to improve the quality Of tho fleece.
This improvement has been made, how
ever, at the expense Of size and hardi-
ness. AS now bred they are large, long,
wide and deep in the carcass, wool long
and tolerably fine, with silky luster or
glimmcr, If the rays Of the sun are thrown
upon the fleece when parted on the shoul-
der or side; wooled to the knee but not
below; neck wooled well up to the head
and down on the forehead, making good
"foretop," as it is called; faces more or
less smutty (grey faced, and lower parts
Of the leg "gray" also; short, rather
thick neck, and legs long enough 30 that
the fleece will not reach 80 near the ground
as TO get dirty. The general appearance
OF good Cotswold should be "blocky,"
giving indications Of but little waste in
cutting up, and indicating great capacity
for laying on flesh and fat The princi-
pal object in breeding this kind of sheep
being early maturity, combined with large
size, good Cotswolds should weigh one
hundred and fifty pounds Mt the very
least when year old, often going over
two hundred pounds at that age.
A writer in the North British Agricul-
turist Of Dec. I'd, says in reference TO the
South Country Lciccsters, that they are
losing caste for want Of size, and that the
reason why the Messrs Brown Of Norfolk
take most Of the prizes Is because their
Cotswolds are so large. The whole tenor
OF his article is 10 the effect that size and
fesh-producing capacity nre the great
requisites in breeding long woods, and he
gives the palm in this direction 10 the
Lincolns and Cotswolds. He is support
cd in this by the demand for English
sheep in foreign countries, including Aus
tralia and New Zealand. Very few Lei
cesters are sold for export, M compared
with the other long woods. On this side
Of the ocean the same fact prevails.
Last year fine flock Of Leiccsters was
vainly offered for sale over the border for
sl4 gold, at place and time where Cots-
wolds sold readily in large lots ut $40
and over. This preference for the latter
breed is OF no sudden growth, but Is the
result Of widespread experience. For
several years large numbers Of Canada
long-wools were brought over and sold to
sheep men who were dissatisfied with the
growing Of fine wool. These sheep we're
picked up in Canada where they could be
purchased the cheapest, and then sold TO
farmers az Cotswolds or Leicesters, as
the purchaser seemed 10 prefer. They
were grade sheep, and on trial, the clean,
white faced ones, that were without fore
tops, and with fine silky fleece, were very
liable TO coughs, running at the nose, and
were more easily chilled in cold rainstorms
The coarser-feeced, dark-faced sheep
proved the harder, and the foretop was
an easily noticed peculiarity Of these
sheep. For these reasons Cotswolds are
more in demand and bring higher pri
ces.
Cctswold sheep require considerable
range, az do all the longwooled breeds.
lf the range is large, or If they are fire.
quently changed from one small field 10
another, they do as we'll in large aocks az
in small ones. They always scatter all
over the pasture, not feeding in ranks as
do anewooled sheep. They are 30 care
less OF the company Of each other, that
If the shepherd visits the flock every day,
as any one should do who expects 10 make
the business profitable, be could easily go
lect half dozen, or even couple Of
sheep and drive them from the field with
Out disturbing the rest or frightening
those driven out. They seem 10 care
more for their shepherd than for each
other; that il, IL they are accustomed 10
his presence every day, at any hour.
Some have objected that If kept in large
focks, they do not shear ~ heavy feeces
If in small focks. This is true 10 a
certain extent. a few selected animals
a. cattle, sheep or pigs-do better In pr1-
portion 10 amount Of feed eaten than
large herds. StiI Cotsvolds do better in
large focks, as is instanced in the report
OF yield Of wool from the flock Of Mr.. r.
Brown, Norfolk, EngIaud, as given in the
CoCaTgY GENTLEMAN, vol. xxxvm,
page 1875. Mr. Brown sheared from
1854 sheep, 12,72s pounds Of vool-sn
average Of ii pounds per fleece. The
two year old rams and ewes averaged I2a
pounds, and the shearling rams I4g and
sheariing ewes 0 pounds each. Ofcourss
4 sr.eh ucs 0tsss xxex. f.kt.;x..I IL. L. -.