Southdown sheep no longer economical and smaller flocks averaged only 135 ewes apiece. The use of artificial fertilizers had gained ground, and the combine-drill, which sowed grain seeds and fertilizer together, rendered close-folding by sheep unnecessary. Gradually surrendering to basic arable farming changes, the Southdown became largely a grassland breed. During the interwar years, the United Kingdom was known for farm animal breeding, and pedigreed Southdowns were still being exported to most parts of the world, especially New Zealand. In 1937, the number of exported Southdowns reached 459 head. During the Great Depression, a severe and prolonged fall in the prices of
Southdown House Southdown House Southdown House is a Grade II* listed building in Patcham, Brighton and Hove. It is a Georgian house made out of brick and flint, and is now situated at 51 Old London Road. The exact date of the construction of Southdown House is unknown, however it is believed to have been built in the early eighteenth century, in a cluster of thirteen buildings in Patcham, the largest such cluster of eighteenth century buildings in Brighton and Hove. The two-storey house was built out of brick and flint, and contains five bays. Originally, the house had adjacent stables, which