HAMPSHIRE DOWN SHEEP. This Eng lish breed is said to have been produced by cross ing the South-Down upon the old breed of Hamp shire, and subsequently by an infusion of Cots wold blood. This gave them an increase of wool, a larger size, their constitutional and hardiness being retained. It is claimed for them that they maturity of the Wiltshire horned sheep and the Berkshire Nott, qualities forming an admirable foundation for a breed upon which the fine form and superior quality of flesh of the Down could be ingrafted. It is worthy of notice that a breed which has long displaced the original Sussex Down and other breeds in Berkshire, Hants, Wilts, and Dorset, has been made what it is, in the hands of skillful breeders, by the blood of the finest specimens of the race which they now dom inate in all this section. This change is a natural result of the inclosure of the commons, the intro duction of artificial manures, and the production of such crops as turnips, rape, vetches, trifolium, rye, and Italian rye-grass. This is one of the facts with which the history of British sheep husbandry teems, illustrating the necessity of change in breeds, with changed conditions of are more hardy than the South-Downs. When introduced into the United States, especially in the South, they have given satisfaction, and crosses on Leicester and on Cotswold, are reported to have taken kindly and with profit to both. As rule, however, the breeder should avoid too great a size, when mutton is an object, since it induces excessive fat, which is not liked, and indeed, is an objection to many of the large breeds. In relation to this British breed of sheep, the well known statistician, J. R. Dodge, in Sheep and Wool of the World, says : This family of Downs, unlike the Sussex, is founded through skillful breeding. It was effected in harmony with the idea of more meat in a shorter period of time—the same which originated the Leicester and the Short-horn—by admirers of the South Down style, who saw in the size and the early production or consumption. It is estimated that the weight, both of mutton and wool, has been increased in this region fifty per cent. The sta tistics of 10,000 Hampshires for three successive years showed the average yield of lambs to be ninety-one per cent., the mortality of ewes five
and one half per cent., and of tegs three per cent. per annum. The wool is of fine quality, but short staple, averaging four and one half pounds per fleece. The best specimens of these sheep may be found at the Overton and Weyhill fairs, in Hampshire, and the Britford and Wilton fairs, in Wiltshire. The wether-lambs are now usually sold in the latter part of summer or early autumn, and the ewes are kept three years for breeding. The period of service of rams is from August 1 to the middle of September. In England, the ewes are usually kept on turnips and hay during the winter, the hay being cut into chaff with a por tion of straw, and sometimes seasoned with a little malt-dust, bran or cake. The lambs go out on turnips, if the weather is fine, in a few days after they are dropped, though many farmers keep them penned for two or three weeks. After April 1 they leave their diet of turnips and hay, and go to the water-meadows by day, and are folded at night on Italian lye-grass, winter-barley, or trifolium, the wether-lambs getting a. little cake or corn. On farms that have no water meadows a large supply of late swedes is secured, and the lambs are kept upon winter-growing grasses and forage-plants until the vetches are in bloom. Early in May they are weaned, when it is common to pasture in clover by day and fold on vetches by night. When the vetches are con sumed, the sale lambs are supplied rape and cab bages and the ewe-lambs follow to consume what the wethers leave. Thus managed, the lambs attain great size and command high prices. For merly they were largely sold, from July to Sep tember, to go to Kent and Surrey, and other points near London, to be fattened for the markets of that city. They arc now so good that they are sold for immediate consumption. It was deemed proper to give somewhat in detail the mode of management in fat-lamb growing, not only to show the practice employed with this particular breed, but to call renewed attention to the neces sity of high feeding in this business, and illustrate again the constant variation in feeding and man agement to meet the requirements of changed or differing circumstances.