Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-09-10

In response to queries by our readers, we
subjoin a condensed description of the sever
al breeds of sheep common in England and
in the United States, and we would suggest
to those who wish to keep these data in mind
that they either cut this out for their scrap
book or preserve the paper. We have al
ready given most of these descriptions in an
swer to questions, as reference to our files
will show and if this is preserved it will OBJ
vate the necessity of repeating them. OF
the long wool sheep, the principal are the
Cotswolds Leicesters and Lncolns The
former are now well known in this country.
They are hornless, have white faces and legs,
and distinguishing feature is tuft of long
wool covering the forehead These sheep
hold the first place among breeders of long
wool sheep, and special efforts have been
made to keep the blood pure.
The Leicesters, or as they are sometimes
called, the Blackwell sheep, from the fact that
Robert Blackwell of England gave much at
tention to their improvement, have grow
ing popularity, though they hold the second
place in the estimation of American breeders.
When well fattened its mutton is large, which
is one reason of its unpopularity as mutton
sheep in this land of cheap meats. They
have no horns, have Il notified or smutty
face and legs, and their fleece is quite uni
form. The Lincoln is yet but little known
on this side of the Atlantic, though quite
popular in England, many giving it the first
place where size and quality of carcass and
charactey and weight of fleece are the leading
objects They have white faces and legs,
are hornlcss, and the wool, which is glossy, at
tains great length and is in great demand for
the manufacture of certain classes of goods.
The middle or medium wool sheep are the
various breeds of Downs, so called because
their habitat is upon the downs" or COM
mons The Southdown or Sussex Down rs it
is commonly called, is Mt present the most
popular sheep Of the class. They have brown
faces and less, a compact, well rounded form
and are very hardy. Their blood enters quite
largely into other varieties of Down sheep.
Their fleece is rather short aud coarse, but as
mutton sheep it stands deservedly high
They are the smallest sheep of their class,
are prolific and very popular where really
choice mutton finds II ready sale. The Hamp-
shire Downs are supposed to have had their
origin from Cotswold and Southdown blood
upon the original Hampshires, the latter be-
ing small native breed. They are large
sheep, are fattened readily and are popular
with some English breeders. Like other
Down sheep, they have black or notified
faces. The Oxford Downs have a comhinu-
ton of the Cotswold and Southdown, show
ing their Cotswold origin by the tuft of
wool upon their foreheads. They are large,
well-formed, have dark legs and faces and
will become popular as they ARE better known.
The Shropshire Down is one of the more re-
cent crosses but has growing popularity. 1t
is large and handsome, with all the good
points of other Down sheep. 1t is a cross Of
the Cotswold upon the Morfe Common, Il
dark-faced and dark legged sheep, and has
been bred to a fixed standard. Its Morfe
Common ancestor was horned sheep, but
by breeding with the Cotswold the horns
have disappeared.
The Merinos are the best type Of the short
wool sheep and with the Saxony, which are
supposed to be of the same origin, are the
only sheep of this class bred in this country.
1t had its origin in Spain and is still called by
some the Spanish Merino, though We can see
no reason why they should be thus designat-
ed. They have been in this country for near
" hundred years and food and climate have
wrought great changes. 1t has become thor
oughly Americanized, and we know 10 good
reason why it should not be called the Ameri-
can Merino. Vermont has long been
noted for its valuable focks of Merinc
sheep and of late years they have been quite
extensively bred in Maine. Their distinguish
ing features are woll known to our readers -
Maine Farmer.