THE MUTTON BREEDS OF SHEEP 351 



was organized at Indianapolis, Indiana. Six years later, 

 these two societies united to form the American Cheviot 

 Sheep Society. The latter organization continues the 

 publication of the flock-book. 



LEICESTER SHEEP. Plate XIII. Fig. 71. 

 By David McCrae 



423. The Leicester (pronounced Les'ter) sheep are a 

 long-wool mutton breed, developed largely in the county 

 of Leicester in England. The land in this county is fertile 

 and rolling, and well adapted for sheep-raising. 



424. History in England. The Leicester sheep are 

 named from the county of Leicester (Les'ter) in England, 

 where the breed had its origin. Robert Bakewell of Dishley 

 near Loughborough in Leicestershire, began his sheep- 

 breeding efforts about 1755. His object was to produce 

 a breed that would fatten quickly at an early age. Before 

 this, bulk of body and weight of fleece had been the aim 

 of breeders of long- wools. The common sheep of the 

 county at that time were large, heavy and coarse-wooled, 

 white-faced, flat-sided, with large bones and long, thick, 

 rough legs. Bakewell would never tell how he got his 

 flock up to the excellence which later distinguished it, 

 nor yet the breeds he used, but it is thought that the basis 

 was the old Teeswater breed, modified by selections from 

 the local breeds of long-wools in the district. This Tees- 

 water breed, from the valley of the river Tees in Yorkshire, 

 was a tall, clumsy animal, small in the bone, round in the 

 rib, and with a thin fleece of long wool. It made good 

 mutton, but was slow in maturing. Bakewell bred 

 for mutton, with the least bone and the least waste, and 



