Mutton Sheep

In the present statu ot' the meat markot and the inoretuang demand ïor good muttou, wouid it not ba wel] for farmers to turn their attentiou to the faot that sume breeda ot' sneep are particularly valuable for umtton, whiie at the same time the wool, by ite ineruased quantity, is vvorth lunch or more than finer quaiities raisod on sinaller sheep,- the Merino for inatanca 't The breeds which liave become mo.st distinguished tor tlieir fattening tendency are the Liaceeter, the iiuproved Cotswold, - whiob was derived i'ium a cross of the old öotswold an,i the Liecester, the South-down, Hampshire Down, and the Cheviot. Within a íevv years the attention of English breeders bas been turned to the production of a. ncw breed that should combine the superior quality of the Southdown mnttoii with the weightier carcass of the Cotswold. A cross of these two breeds carefully selected, were bred together, till, as is claimed, a uniform character was in a great degree u, resunmg m wnat is known as the " Oxfordshire Downs," so well known and approved that the Royal agricultuzal Society has adopted a class of prizes for it at the annual shows. Hon. Wm. C. Eives of Virginia imported six of these sheep into the State nearly 20 years since. To what extend they have superseded other breeds in this country we are not informed. Most of' this breed, however, at present owned in this State, have beon brought from Canada, where they are highly valued for their flesh. No doubt the prejudice ag-ainst tautton for the table has arisen from the tact that in our childhood we scarely saw auy that did not taste and smell auitfl ton stmn tor our juvenile tastes. With the gradual disappearance of this olass ot sbeep the demand for the better kinds has increased and it is certainly a matter to be wondered at that any farmer cannot arrange his fields so as to keep enuugh good mutton sheep to give a variety and excellence to his living that is attainable in no othei way. A farmer who can supplement his wheat and corn raising with two or three cows, a few sheep, and a variety of poultry, may set á luxurious table within his own means. We select the folio wing froni a table giving the average weight of fleece and carcass of the different breeds of sheep ruentioned. The table was prepared by an English breeder near Oxford : The average weight of yearling fleeces of Cotswold ewes, 7 to 10 lbs. ; average weight of yearliugs when fat, at 13 to 15 months old, 80 lbs. ; Leieester, wool 5 to 8 lbs., carcass 68 lbs.; pure South-Downs, wool ó to b ibs., caroass, GOlbs.; Humpshire Downs, wool 3 to 7 Ibs., carcass 68 Ibs.; cross-breed or Oxfordshire Downs, wool 5to 8 Ibs., carcass 76 Ibs.; the throé latter averaging 3d. per lb. tor fleeces of yearlings more tban Cotswold and Liecesters. The carcass of the pure SouthDown sells the highest by 3d. to 4d. pr, ïb. - Liiusing HtpubLican.