266 THE BORDER LEICESTER BREED OF SHEEP. 



much larger number of rams than he required for his own use,, 

 giving him consequently greater choice in the selection of 

 animals from which to breed. Then — and this was the more 

 important consideration — it never allowed an animal to go out 

 of his possession, the great advantage of which was that when 

 he had ascertained that a sheep had proved of value to him, he 

 had the opportunity of again using it. It also provided a larger 

 experimental field than could have been found at Dishley ; for 

 when the tups were out on hire, their owner had constant 

 opportunities of noticing and hearing what effect they had 

 produced on the different stocks to which they had been put. 

 How the lettinc^ was s^one about in Bakewell's time is described 

 by Marshall in his work on the " Midland Counties," from which 

 it appears that the proceedings were very similar to those at 

 other places where the practice was carried on within living 

 memory, and where the occasion had very much the character of 

 a small fair, the company gathering at the breeder's farm, going 

 over the rams, which were all numbered, and then in the event 

 of several persons wishing to bid for one particular sheep, taking 

 a ballot as to who should have precedence, with the result, of 

 course, that whoever was prepared to give the highest sum closed 

 the bargain. Like many other "original men," as an old writer 

 says, Bakew^ell was at first sneered at by his neighbours, who 

 could not understand the lines on which he was working, and 

 were surprised at his neglect of size and wool. 



It was about the year 1760 that the first Dishley ram was let 

 on hire. The man who got this sheep was Mr AVilbore of Illson- 

 on-the-Hill, and the price paid was 17s. 6d., at which figure it is 

 mentioned other two rams were immediately afterwards let. 

 For twenty years the great breeder continued steadily to im- 

 prove his stock, meeting little encouragement from his neighbours; 

 for it was only in rare cases during this time that he obtained 

 as much as two or three guineas for the use of a sheep, but 

 apparently confident that success would ultimately come. In 

 1780, twenty-five years after the flock had been established, the 

 turn of the tide came, and then all Bakewell's hopes must have 

 been more than fulfilled. Durinor this season he easilv obtained 

 ten guineas for some of his best rams; but this was only an in- 

 dication of the rush of prosperity that was to follow. Within 

 four years from this time the letting value of his best rams 

 rose to one hundred guineas, and fancy prices were thereafter 

 the rule. In 1786 a ram was let for one season for two 

 hundred guineas, on condition that he should serve at Dishley 

 a third of the usual number of ewes shed to one tup ; and 

 the amount realised for the whole of that year's letting was 

 one thousand guineas. This, however, was far surpassed by the- 

 following seasons, for in 1789 twelve hundred guineas were paid 



