The farmers' vindicator., 1876-05-05
SuEoIk-Down sheep.

This is a very useful breed of sheer
says the London Live Stock Journal
as yet only known to local fame, bu
rapidly extending in popularity witt
every successive year. 1t ranks besid
the Hampshire and Shropshire, and il
form, figure, carriage and general ap
pearance, may perhaps be considered
to fall between the two. Visitors t.
the late Suffolk County Show a
Stowmarket, were brought into con
tact with them, and they were to bt
met with again at Brentwood last
Tuesday and Wednesday. There car
be little doubt that throughout the
eastern countries either Suffolk. Downs
or the Norfolk Downs are propogated
numerously. Both varieties ought to
be considered as one, for they have
pretty much the same origin, and
afford no more striking differences in
appearance than the Hampshires Of
the three counties of Willis, Hants,
and Dorset present to view. Those
disposed to be very critical may di.
vide sheep into almost innumerable
breeds. There are even two sorts OF
Suffolk. Downs, viz: the more hardy
but smaller animals to be found in
East Suffolk, which have to browse on
the whin commons of the sand-heath
tracts of that region, and the larger,
thicker sheep, with dense black faces
and sharply chiseled features to be
found in the good lands Of West Suf-
folk, and particularly between Bury
and Newmarket.
The breed has origin in a cross be-
tween the old Norfolk and the South
Down. The former is one of the nu-
merous kinds which were very popu-
lar many generations ago, but are now
extinct. The light, sandy heaths Of
and Suffolk were less cult
vated century ago than at the pres
ent day, and the ancient Norfolk
breed was fully acclmatized to the ex-
igencies of the situation. In process
Of time it became fashionable to keep
5outh-Downs, or cross between the
5outh-Down and Norfolk. Thus the
old sort became swamped or swallowed
Up, Just as the Wiltshire-horns were in
heir native country, and it would be,
perhaps, difficult tofind truespecimens
If the type of either at the present
period.
But it is not many years remarked
n one of our agricultural journals that
although the pure bred Norfolks are
never seen, traces of the old blood are
o be found in more than half the
locks to be found in the country of
Norfolk. The same may certainly be
aid Of the focks of Suffolk for, in adj
lltion to the Sufolk.Downs proper
arge numbers of cross.bred sheep are
,red and grazed by Suffolk ewes being
,ut to long-wooled rams. On the good |
ands of both countries no sheep are
o popular as "half-breeds" of the true
tamp. These derive a large frame,
strength of constitution,
md wonderful milking qualities from
he old Norfolk blood, quality from
he South.Down, and early maturity,
,ood feeding characteristics and heavy
leeces from the improved Lincoln or
Jotswold.
Suffolk Downs, or as they are fre-
Iuently termed, black-faced Aocks, are
lowever, very numerous. On the
,oor walk lands, where furze, or whin,
excessively appears, of which there
re extensive districts in both counties,
no sort of sheep would thrive
o we'll as this hardy, productive one,
which has been acclimatized to meet
he exigences of the situation. Flocks
f breeding ewes roam at large or these
heep-walks, who feed almost as much
n the young and tender shoots of the
urze bushes as the scant herbage of
he velvety turf which grows between
hem. At night the focks are folded
n the arabic lands, aud often driven
Or that purpose to considerable dis
lnces. They may be folded, as is
the case, on green crop,
nd almost invariably receive hearty
upper either of tough food, hay, roots,
r green produce to make up for the
amt fare of the health browsings.