THE MUTTON BREEDS OF SHEEP 357 



grazing qualities, but cannot be said to be very prolific. 

 (Plate XIII.) 



435. Uses of Lincoln sheep. The Lincoln is bred 

 for wool, and its reputation has been made from the fleece. 

 Lincolnshire has an area of about twenty-seven hundred 

 square miles, and its annual wool clip exceeds nine million 

 pounds of washed wool. For many centuries this wool 

 has had a reputation for strong, tough fiber, the fen wool 

 especially having this marked toughness. It is said 

 by many persons that the breed removed from its 

 native fen land loses the tough, strong quality of fiber, 

 no matter how good the pasture may be to which it is re- 

 moved. Eighteen pounds of wool for mature rams, and 

 fourteen to sixteen for mature ewes may be considered 

 average yields. 



The Lincoln has been widely used, especially in New 

 Zealand, for crossing on Merino stock to give a long 

 combing wool. It impresses its long- wool qualities on 

 its offspring. This cross is also much employed in Ar- 

 gentina and Australia, to produce large wool sheep, and 

 incidentally mutton, for the English market. The pure- 

 bred Lincoln is not popular for mutton purposes, as it is 

 too fat, and the mutton is of inferior quality. 



436. Distribution. Lincoln sheep are still largely bred 

 in their old home in Lincolnshire and neighboring counties 

 in England. In Australia and New Zealand they are 

 favorites for crossing purposes, and they have also reached 

 Russia and South Africa. In South America they are 

 popular, and very high prices have been paid for export 

 rams to go to Argentina, but in North America they have 

 not gained the same favor. There are a few good flocks in 

 Canada, mainly in Ontario, and some have been tried on 

 western ranches with more or less success. 



