THE WENSLEYDALE 581 



The breed was first introduced into Scotland by Thomas 

 MacQueen, of Crofts and Muil both in Kirkcudbright to 

 cross with Blackface mountain sheep on the heathery hills 

 of the Southern Highlands. There, for over sixty-five years, 

 they have, in virtue of being the hardiest and most active 

 of all the varieties of Leicesters, maintained their ground, 

 although on some of the grassy green hills and better classes 

 of lowland pasture, good enough to develop the bone of 

 the Border Leicester, the latter (owing to a greater tendency 

 to early maturity and fat-production) has supplanted it. 

 Cross hoggs are particularly well suited to feeding ofT in 

 spring, producing mutton of the " primest quality." 



It is claimed for the Wensleydale ram " that he is large 

 and strong-boned, with great length of side and more lean 

 flesh than any other long-woolled breed," and that " no other 

 breed of rams can compare with the Wensleydale for getting 

 breeding cross-breds." The cross-bred progeny of Wensley- 

 dales are sure to grow in favour as heavy fat sheep become 

 more and more unpopular. 



The name of Wensleydale Long-wool was given in 1 876 

 in preference to the time-honoured local name of " Mug " and 

 to that of " Yorkshire-Leicesters" by which they were known, 

 and are at times still called, in Scotland to overcome the 

 difficulty of finding a proper designation for them in the 

 show catalogue, when the Yorkshire Agricultural Society 

 first offered prizes for the breed. 



In May 1890, vol. i. of their Flock Book was published 

 by the " Wensleydale Long-wool Sheep Breeders' Association 

 and Flock Book Society," with an appended list of 125 

 members, including 104 breeders. In September of the 

 same year, the first volume of the Flock Book, compiled by 

 the " Pure Select Wensleydale Sheep Breeders' Association 

 and Flock Book Society," was issued with a list of 45 

 members, 33 being breeders. The relative positions of the 

 two societies had materially changed within fifteen years, 

 for in 1905 the latter, or " Blueface," Society had a member- 

 ship of 100, 78 being breeders; and the former, the original 

 Society, 70 members, including 50 breeders. The Blueface 

 Society gives yearly about 30 guineas in prizes, and its 

 annual show and sale is growing in popularity with both 

 buyers and sellers. 



