426 Breeds of Sheep best adapted to different Localities. 



that alteration to the ^reat deterioration of quality, and to the taste of the 

 country; the public will not wear the coarse Southdown cloths, they are 

 so very 'coarse. Attribute the deterioration to the improved system of 

 agriculture. 



" The farmers are in the habit of growing so much more artificial food 

 than formerly, and paying greater attention to the size of the sheep than 

 to the quality of their wool ; they have now much larger framed sheep 

 than they had fifteen years ago." 



Mr. John Brooke, of Honley, manufacturer, stated — 

 "That he had purchased the Dul<e of Norfolk's clip in Norfolk and the 

 Messrs. Ellmans' of Sussex, viz., Mr. E., junior's, clip from 1817 to 1822, 

 and Mr. E., seniors, from 1817 to 1821 ; the latter clip was 



In 1817 . . .384 lbs. 77 prime. 84 choice. 65 super. 

 1821 . . .416 „ 6 „ 32 „ 126 „ 



" Mr. Ellman, junior's clip had a similar result. The greater part of 

 the fine Southdown wool was used in the manufacture of livery cloth." 



That a deterioration in the character of Southdown wool for 

 felting purposes has taken place there cannot be a question, not- 

 withstanding which the depreciation in value has been much 

 greater than the depreciation of quality : this has arisen partly 

 from an increased taste for wearing fine cloths having thrown the 

 Southdown wool entirely out of the market as a clothing wool, 

 and partly from the shortness of the staple of Southdown wool not 

 adapting it for combing purposes ; improvements in machinery 

 have, however, been effected, which combined with the constantly 

 annual increasing length of the staple of Southdown wool, causes it 

 now to be pretty extensively used for fine flannels, (&c., and will no 

 doubt in a few years become one of our most valuable, and at the 

 same time one of our most extensive combing wools; on this 

 point I shall have something more to state hereafter as cor- 

 roborating in some measure what has been just stated, 

 viz., that the depreciated value of Southdown wool has arisen 

 partly from its short staple not adapting it for combing pur- 

 poses. It was stated by Mr. William Nottage, in the evidence 

 already so extensively quoted, that wool from the Southdown 

 sheep, crossed with a larger breed and fed on enclosed lands, 

 having a longer staple, meets with a readier sale, and is worth 

 more money than fine Southdown wools of better quality. 



In the year 1800 ^ prime Leicester skin in the wool weighed s. d. 



20 lbs., the wool of which was 8^ lbs., pelt 13:1 lbs. ; the 



carcase supposed to be about 14 stone : the skin was worth 7 

 A middling Lincoln skin. The wool was 8 lbs., the pelt 9 lbs., 



the carcase 12 stone : the skin . . . . .58 



A Hereford skin. The wool was 5 lbs., the pelt 10 lbs., the 



carcase 14 stone : the skin . » . . . .66 



A Southdown skin. The wool 3J lbs., the pelt 7i lbs., the 



carcase 10 stone : the skin . . . . . .54 



A Norfolk skin. The wool 3 lbs., pelt 7 lbs., carcase 8 stone : 



the skin 4 9 



Shortlinars . . . 12 



