The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-03-14

foreign blood. The next eminent
breeder to take up the Improvement of
the South-Downs was Jonas Webb of
Babraham, England. AT this time Mr..
Webb had no preference for any par
ticular breed of sheep, but after ex-
haustive trials with several breeds he
fully satisfied himself that the South
Down produced the greatest weight and
gave the best quality of mutton for the
amount of food consumed, and were
consequently the most profitable both
to breeder and grazier. But although
both Gilman and Webb were scru-
pulously careful to maintain the purity
of the breed, each aimed at different
type of animal, Mr.. Ellman's aim be-
ing small and good sheep, while Mr..
Webb believed that large sheep were
much the best and would be the sheep
of the future. Mr.. Webb succeeded in
producing a sheep of larger frame and
greater weight than the South-Downs of
Ellmans time, while at the same time
retaining the true type of pure-bred
South-Down. The same line of i'm
provement which Mr.. Webb inagurated
is being carried out by the best South
Down breeders of the present day, viz:
uniformity of character, strength of
constitution, excellence of wool, small
ness of bone, as compared with weight
of meat, but not so small as to prevent
the carrying of an increased amount of
flesh. AS an indication of the improve
ment which is going on in that line, let
us compare the weights of South
Downs at the beginning of the present
century with those of to-day. A good
South-Down wether at that time weighed
about one hundred fifty pounds, while
pen of shearing wethers exhibited by
Lord Walsingham at the fat-stock show
in 1884 averaged two hundred fifty-one
pounds each. AS tending to show that
the South-Down can be bred and raised
successfully in this country, the ram
Woodstock" now at the head of
the Billings farm flock, weighed two
hundred eighty-seven pounds the day
before he was shipped to the state
fair at Burlington last fall. Lord
Walsingham has probably done more
than any other breeder to bring the
South-Down to its present high stand
ard of excellence. He not only i'm
proved the carcass, but brought the
wool up from three and one-half pounds
to eight and ten pounds per head. The
Billings farm flock, which is bred
entirely from sheep imported from
Webb and Walsingham, clipped last
season an average of eight pounds per
head of such fine quality as to COM
mand higher price than Merino wool.
While it is an established fact that the
pure-bred South-Down will produce
more mutton, and consequently more
money, per acre than any other breed
of sheep, it is their great prepotency
and power of improving other breeds
that gives them special value to the
American farmer. The time has gone
past when we can compete with South
America and Australia in the produce
ton of wool alone, but those countries
can not compete with us in producing a
first-class quality of mutton. The tropi-
cal seas are ample protection against
that, for, no matter how hard frozen
they may keep it while en- route, it
must 90 to the consumer in a thawed
state, which leaves it soft, sticky and
uninvitng. Besides, their sheep being
bred for wool alone, the carcass lacks
that quality and firm, juicy appearance
peculiar to South-Down mutton. A
knowledge of these facts among the
farmers of this country has awakened
an interest in South-Down sheep, and
breeders in every section of the country
are now turning to that valuable breed
as the fountain from which to draw in
fusions of new blood to give their
hocks the best mutton characteristics.
GEORGE AITKEN.
Woodstock, February IS, 1888.