The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-04-18
TOPICS FOR THE r

South Down Sheep.-This variety is
peculiarly a mutton sheep, having
larger carcasses and shorter wool than
those denominated long wooded, but not
as short as the Merino; hence the appel
~lation, middle-wooled. Like the Leices-
ter, they have been brought to their
present degreee of excellence by careful
and intelligent breeding. Their prin-
cipal improver was a Mr.. Gilman.
They were, as he found them, a breed of
small size, of bad shape, being long and
thin in the neck, high on the shoulders,
low behind, high on the loins, down on
the rumps. the tail set on very low, per-
pendicular from the hip bones, sharp
on the back, the ribs fiat, not bowling,
narrow in the fore-quarters, but good in
the leg, although having large bones.
Mr.. Gilman says: "They are now
much improved in both shape and con-
stitution. They are smaller in bone,
equally hardy, with a greater DISPOSE
ton to ~fatten, and much heavier in
carcass when fat. They used to fatten
until four years old, but it would now
be a rar sight to see a pen of South
Down wethers at market more than two
years old, and many are killed before
they reach that age"
The South Down of the present day
is a large sheep, without horns, a dark
or notified face; the head small, and
the upper part and jaws covered with
wool, the neck of medium length, not
large towards the head, but swelling
out back to meet the expanded chest,
the back broad and straight, the legs
set wide apart, and a fleece of close, fine
wool, about three or four inches in
length, covering the entire body, and
coming well down to the knees and
hooks.
They are a hardy race of sheep, doing
well on coarse, Indifferent fare, 1but
much better OF generous keeping.
They have commanded attention where
ever sheep husbandry has been awake
to improvement. They have been ex.
tensively scattered throughout the
United States, and much priced in
many places. The wool is very fine,
and under the modern improvements
in machinery, much used for combing
purposes, it is but little coarser than
some grades of Merino wool. But the
great merit of the South Down is fol-
their mutton producing properties.
Since Mr.. Ellman's day, other breeders
have begun where he left off, and have
pushed the size of the carcasses to from
one hundred and ten to one hundred
and fifty pounds, dressed weight. The
mutton is of the finest quality. In ear
illness of maturity the South Downs
equal the Leicesters, the lambs being
ready for market by the last of June OF
the first of July. The yield of wool, Of
those raised in low lands, will average
from four to six pounds to the fleece.
H0rnless Cattle.-In California and
elsewhere the uselessness of horns OF
cattle in a domesticated state is being
urged by some writer's. Mr.. William
Clark, now of Denver, Colorado, but
formerly of Wayne County, New York
bred a herd of hornless cattle while re
siding in the latter locality, and is quite
enthusiastic on the subject. He pre-
diets that the time will come when al
domestic cattle will be reared withou'
horns. His herd was bred from horned
COWS and hornless bulls. He claims tn,
following merits for "critters" of thu
new pattern:
1. Horns were given to cattle to b.
used in fghting-to enable them to de
fend themselves against dangerous enc
mics. For this purpose they are o
value upon wild cattle. Domestic cat
tie have no valuable use for them.
2. The horns upon domestic cattle ar,
used mostly in goring and injuring eacl
other. All injuries to animals are pait
for in their distinguished growth, o
diminished flesh, or increased amour
of food consumed.
8. Horns are a mere dead weight upol
the heads of cattle, and the expense o
carrying them about and warming AM
supplying their waste is paid for in tn
food consumed or the diminished weigh
of the animal.