Sheep For Mutton Or Wool

Noarly every farmer keep sheep to a greator or loss cxtent, soiuo for wool oxclusiwlv, some for raising carly lambsfor tho bjitcher, and somo for futUiiiing their mutton. We have been ropeatcdly asked what wo considered the best breed for both mutton and wool, and would say our preference is for tho Southdown. Tho puro Southdown buck is especially nseful to prpss on coinmon breéda, for early lantbs inr uur city markets, where thcy commaad hi-iii priues. The Soutlidown lanrab .nul mutton, with whioh our prineipai ni i rketfi are suppUed, are reared from grade ewoS by tin: nse of thorough-bred soutudown nims. If tho butoher oan sec tho blookish or brownisb l"gs or faces, it suiïu.'cs to niiike bhem Soutlidown. Tlio Boathdown epioure Imnself, when set down to (he table with a well done log before him, is uttcrly unablo to teil tho grade Erom the pare Ha The mulé lamba should lx; altored when a few days old, and thair taI cut off at uu inch from root. They suffer but little inconvenience from tho operation. when perfonned it tliat age, but it is nccossary to take pains in handling, lost they get bruised or iniured in struggling. They ahonld be held nnnly and quiotly. They niake better fat lanibs, if iutended to bo gold is suoh ; nnd if dtsigned to bo kept is wethors, there is less risk in the operartion if performed at tho time recominendod. Th o fashion of' sheep, liko all other fashions. is subject to changos. Twenty-five years ago tho fashion was to havo cloan heads on Soutlidowns, or tliose freo from any wool in the t'orehead. The presence of a tuft in the forohead would havo cxcitod auspicion of a cross with the Merino ; but now the fashion bas chuugcd, and a tuft of wool is, by somo whoso obsorvation does not extend very far back, considered almost the standard of purity. In regard to tho flock of ewes for raising mutton shoep, it deponds entirely on circuí listan ees whothor it is bost to cross thom with a Southdown or Cotswold, or some other mutton breed. For the last fev i ig wooled crosses have been quite proñtablo. The wool has been in demand for combing purposes, and the mutton has oommaniaed a roady sale. But of oours . ís usoloss to expect tliis breed or cross to produce a good fleeco and a boavy ca ss ithout liberal feeding. Thostï who aio not prepared to givo oxtra food and atteution to their flocks would do better to koop Southdown sheep. Southdowiis constitute tho favorito mutton sheep of Eugland, biting not otily of a higher flavor, but having the fat and lean better intennixod. Thoy are said to succeod botter on dry, short pasturage than the Cotswi-Ms, and for this rcason would probably be better adaptnl to the conditions of the South. After all, however, we are inclinad to the opinión that tho flavor of mutton dopends vciy much on the kind of herbage on which the animáis fecd. A writer in tho Prairie Farmer says : Somo of my neighbors have the Cotswold, somo the Leicesters, and somo have the Southdowns. Ikeep the Southdowiis and havo none for sale. I have a splendid winter suit of casiuct stoel-mixed, made ot just two Southdown neeces, off two Southdowns whi'-k have taken sweepstiiko premiums in this and anotlier county. Tho wool was clippod in Mav last andthu cloth manufactured in Maoomb, and is line cnough fora Philadelpbialawyer. I am content with the Sonthdowns and wantno botter breed, eitherforlanibs,