“A GREAT BREED OF SHEEP.

At his sheep-shearing, a few days ago,” says the Winchester Virginian, ” Col. Josiah W. Ware, near Berryville, Clarke county, Virginia, took from one of his Cotswolds the enormous quantity of eighteen and three-fourths pounds of wool. Some of the staple we are told measured sixteen inches in length.”—Pennsylvania Inquirer, June 8, 1849.

We do not know, but we presume the above was the growth of more than one year—probably of a yearling last spring. Col. Ware, like Major Reybold, and others, has for years been doing much to improve the breed of sheep, for wool and mutton.

At the Cattle Show at Baltimore, last autumn, Col. Ware added much to the exhibition in this department of domestic animals. The home-bred ewes shown by him on that occasion, were all thorough-bred Cotswolds, and had not been fed on grain or any thing else, except what grass they could gather in a very poor pasture, until within a few days of leaving home. The home-bred ram was a yearling, (perhaps the one sheared as above,) was with the ewes, received the same treatment, and had been with 80 ewes. Before they left home, the lightest ewe weighed more than 200 lbs. His wethers had not been fed except a few days before leaving home, and were on the same pasture—notwithstanding which, the lightest weighed more than 210 lbs., and they were sent home to be fattened, though high offers were made for them.

Of his imported sheep, all three were got by the ram that took the high prize at the great fair at Northampton, held by the Royal Agricultural Society, and were out of prize ewes, and the two ewes were part of the pen which last year took the highest prize at the Royal Agricultural Fair at York, in England : they were just landed, had been more than fifty days at sea, and confined more than sixty days. They were all yearlings, their purchase was not limited, and their cost was high.

Will such expense and public spirit meet with their just reward in our country ? That is the question. We sincerely hope all such patriotic enterprises may.”

Reference Data:

The Plough, The Loom and The Anvil, Vol. 2, 1849, page 213