The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-10-13
farm aud 6araem.
For the Central Presby
THE International Exhibition of Sheep
Wool, and Wool Products"
CONTINUED

acres, Is computed III 1910 10 nave OUT
$4,000 sheep, which is one sheep to
rather more than 6S acres.
We next visited the "Cots10oldS, a
long wooded sheep, and a great favorite
with many, who contend they are equal
to the Southdown for mutton, and but
little inferior to the Merinos for wool.
The fleece on an average weighs from
to 10 pounds, and the carcass slaughtered,
from loo to 200 pounds and sometimes
more. They stand first, for the excellen-
cy and quality for combing wool 1t is
strong and soft, from six to eight inches
in length. They have almost entirely
superseded the Leicester* or Blackwell, a
long wooded sheep, formerly very popu-
lar, principally because they are more
hardy. On good pastures, the Cotswold
takes on flesh quickly, but do not distrib-
ute it evenly as do the Southdowns, nor
do they marble" their flesh like the
Southdowns. The ewes are usually good
mixers and prolific breeders, the lambs
being large, we'll formed and hardy, but
are thought not to fatten so rapidly from
the start as Southdowns As mutton
they are hardly equal to Southdowns.
The cross of the Cotswold ram upon the
common ewes of the country has been
very beneficial. not only increasing the
size and form of the native, but some
times trebling the weight of the fleece.
On this account they are very valuable
for those who desire to combine as far as
feasible, both fleece and mutton qualities
They are rather unwieldy, and not indus
trious feeders as the Merinos, and hence
are not so well adapted to the hilly,
mountainous, and broken regions of Vir-
ginia, or even to the hot sun, and more
or less scant pastures of Middle and Tide
water. To succeed best, they must have
level pastures, and a cool climate But
by systematic and continued course of
breeding with the common scrub ewes,
excellent results may be reached, and
with only several removes, a sheep close
ly resembling Cotswold with heavy fleece,
and well adapted to our Southern eli
mate and undulating lands of Middle and
Piedmont Virginia and the Valley, may
be obtained
OfCotswold, Mr. Abner Strawn had 43
head, and conspicuous among them was
an imported yearling ram weighing 243
pounds, three-year old ram weighing
800 pounds, and which, last April, sheared
% pounds, both of these fine animals
two yearling rams weighing 287 and 289
pounds, and two February and March
rams, the heaviest weighing 154 pounds.
Mr.. Edward Hicks, of Pennsylvania, ex-
hibited "a head of fine quality, among
them ram of three years, weighing 3O3
pounds, and some fine ewes, excelling in
their feeces for length and weight, one
sample of their wool exhibited being l6
inches long, and three feeces weighing
l5&, a. and 49, pounds.
The S0atthdoUa8" next engaged our
attention, the exhibition of which, both
imported and home-bred on some of the
best stock farms in the country, was I'M
usually fine. This breed has always been
popular as mutton sheep, but formerly
only furnished wool of medium quality,
but now by improved breeding and care,
their form and size has been much amend.
ed, and their early maturity and produc-
tiveness increased, and the wool so i'm
proved that the finer grade is used for
combing. A strong argument in favor
OF the Southdowns is that they are
healthy and hardy, will stand exposure
and subsist on rough feed and short pas
lures This is an old breed, and existed
for many years on the chalky hills Of
England, known as South Downs, from
which they take their name. They are
of medium size, round, compact form
dark colored legs and face, with wool Of
the medium class in length, which is de.
ticient in telling properties, making q
fuzzy, hairy cloth, and is used by manu-
facturers in making worsted. Their fleece
averages about four pounds. This breed
Is more especially valued for the mutton
in which it excels all others. They ma.
ture early, are industrious feeders take
on fat readily and evenly over the whole
body, are prolific breeders, and good
mothers. It is said that 100 ewes will
produce 100 lambs, twins occurring as
often as barren ewes. Though originally
an upland sheep, they adapt themselves
well to all parts of the State, and are
growing in popular favor A cross of the
Southdown ram upon the common ewes
Is very desirable, and experienced breed.
ers estimate that lambs from this eros:
are worth IS cents to 81 more than lambs
by common ram.
The exhibition Of Southdowns was very
fine, Mr.. r. W. Fisher, from Kentucky
had % head of superior quality; one o.
his imported rams weighing 256 pounds
10 T. L rr