578 BREEDS OF LOWLAND LONG-WOOL SHEEP 



July 2Oth. Border Leicester stock ewe lambs are speaned. 



October 1st. The tups are put to the ewes. 



November 2%th to December loth. Hoggs put on to turnips 

 where grass fields have failed. 



The chief difficulties of a shepherd in charge of Border 

 Leicesters are when they suffer from lameness, from maggots, 

 or from being broken on the crown by flies ; hoove in lambs ; 

 and keeping thin hoggs (especially tups) dry in winter, to 

 prevent their legs twisting. 



The Wensleydale is a large, high-standing, long-sided, 

 firm-fleshed Yorkshire-Leicester breed, with a characteristic 

 deep blue colour in the skin of the face, legs, and ears, which 

 sometimes extends to the whole of the body, though the 

 shade is darker on the bare or hairy parts. The dark 

 colour is cultivated, because in the extensive use of the 

 rams in crossing with the Scotch Blackface breed it is found 

 that dark blue rams throw dark grey-faced lambs, a point 

 which is considered valuable. 



The lambs bred in this way are termed "crosses" in 

 Scotland, where they are extensively kept for "hogging." 

 In the east of Yorkshire and in Lincolnshire, where many 

 thousands of them are annually bought for breeding to early- 

 maturity rams, and for fattening during winter, they go by 

 the name of " Mashams," from the market where they are sold. 



Bright and lustrous wool of open character, of good 

 length, and divided into uniform little knots or "pirls," 

 should cover nearly the whole surface of the body, and be 

 free from mistiness on the back. A fine tuft should cover 

 the forehead between the eyes, and finely pirled wool the back 

 of the head, round the ears, the back of the hind legs down 

 to the hoofs, and at times even the fore legs. The belly 

 and scrotum should also be covered. Hairy wool on the 

 thighs, where the coarsest wool tends to grow, is objectionable. 



The head is of a good size (with a strong muzzle, 

 especially in the ram), and gaily carried on a long and 

 strong neck well set on the shoulders, giving much greater 

 style of carriage to the breed than is usual with other 

 English Leicesters ; hair is entirely absent about the fore- 

 head, the back of the head, and the ears ; and there is no 

 coarse hair on the rest of the face. 



