566 SHEEP MOUNTAIN AND MOORLAND 



The Radnor breed was described in the 1893 edition of 

 this work as the Tanface, a very old Welsh mountain 

 breed, still met with, but in smaller numbers than formerly, 

 in Radnorshire, about Abbey-cwm-hir * and St Harmon, 

 and shown as a distinct class at the Radnorshire Agricultural 

 Show annually held at Pen-y-bout short-legged, hardy 

 little sheep, with a close fleece of fine wool on the back and 

 sides but rather coarse underneath. During the inter- 

 vening fourteen years it has become more important and 

 better known, and also more nearly related to, although 

 smaller than, the Kerry Hill sheep, which it also resembles, 

 as the accompanying Plates show. They are well described 

 as short-limbed, low-set sheep, with speckled faces and 

 legs ; only a few retain the original tan colour, but they 

 differ considerably in different districts. In the northern 

 parts of Radnorshire they have been crossed mostly with 

 Kerries to secure the fashionable speckled faces, but in the 

 south, also with Shropshires of a clean-headed type, the 

 progeny being used again in the surrounding flocks. Some 

 flocks are very hardy and live on the hills for nine months in 

 the year, but others are only on them from July to October. 

 They take longer to fatten than the Kerry Hill sheep, and on 

 the average are not so heavy, yearling wethers varying from 

 1 20 to 150 Ibs. live-weight 



The cast ewes go into the fat lamb trade with Kerry 

 ewes, and other relative qualities have already been discussed 

 under the Kerry breed. 



The Clun Forest breed, although related through Shrop- 

 shire and Long Mynd (or Mound) ancestors, differs from the 

 Kerry and Radnor breeds. It belongs chiefly to the Clun 

 district of Shropshire. The original Clun Forest sheep was 

 small and speckle-faced. Its modern representative was 

 produced by crossing with hardy, blackfaced Long Mynd 

 mountain rams, now extinct, and latterly with Shropshires. 

 It is now three parts Shropshire, and may rank as a hardy 

 variety of that breed specially suited to its local surroundings. 

 The ewes are excellent mothers ; they produce Easter fat 

 lamb, which would weigh, if kept till early summer, 17 Ibs. to 

 1 8 Ibs. per quarter. Ewes and two-year-old wethers rise in 

 1 Cwm-hir (pronounced coom here\ Welsh for long-valley. 



