56 Report upon the Af/ricultural Features 



a better price than that from black ewes. The black ewe wool 

 is indeed scarcely black, but of a dirty grey colour. The sheep 

 on the mountainous parts are generally larger, and coarser in 

 wool, and the horns are more fully developed, 



" The horns of the Transylvanian sheep do not stand up in a 

 spiral, like those of Wallachia, but are curled round like the 

 Scotch blackfaces. The face and legs are often black, or more 

 commonly spotted, and this character is not lost after two or 

 three crosses. The lamb is often spotted, but after the first clip 

 the fleece is white, 



"These animals are tame and easily managed by the shepherd 

 and his dogs. For a flock of 300 two men are required. 

 Besides the lamb and fleece, the ewes give about 15 ll>s. 

 (English) of good cheese during the season, and this product is 

 mostly consumed at home. 



" Our objects in improving the breed were to obtain a finer 

 wool, and at the same time, increase the quantity and keep up the 

 length of the staple. Also to improve the feeding aptitude and 

 form of the animal, while still keeping up its activity and 

 hardihood. It was also proposed to keep up to a certain extent 

 the milking properties. 



" After due deliberation we chose the Lincoln as the best cross, 

 on account of the length and glossiness of its wool. My late 

 cousin, Mr. Charles Paget, of Fluddington, was kind enough to 

 procure us 27 rams and 20 ewes of this breed. Every member 

 of the society received 2 rams for his own use, and 3 were 

 reserved with the 20 ewes to form a nursery for future use. Of 

 this reserve it is not necessary to speak further, as in two years 

 all except two or three ewes had died of tuberculous lungs. 

 With the rams we were more fortunate, and some of us used 

 them till seven or eight years (dd. The first and second crosses 

 were everything we could desire. The wool was longer, the 

 texture much finer, the gloss beautiful, the quantity doubled. 

 The milk was not lessened by more than one-quarter, and 

 although rather more difficult to milk than the unimproved 

 breed while young, the teat grew longer after the second lamb. 

 The form of the animal was greatly improved, especially across 

 the loins, and the good effects of the cross could be recognised 

 even in the skeleton by the change in the form of the ribs and 

 false ribs. They fed much more easily, and the flesh had 

 not that strong flavour which makes old mutton of the native 

 breed not always pleasant. Better mutton than that of the 

 crossed sheep I never ate. The price of the unimproved long 

 wool is about 5f(/, per lb., and the first year we sold the 

 cross-bred wool at three times the price of that of the native 

 breed, but alas I the manufacturers declared their machinery was 



