- 





WOOL. 





food. An abundance of nutriment will increase both tha length uul 

 the bulk of the wool. This U on important con- >. iththe 



sheep- breeder. Let the cold of winter come let it cntin>'. 

 consider. iMc period, yet if the *hep be well kept, although the fleece 

 may loee u little weight, tlii.i will be more than compensated by it* 

 fineorm and increase of value, If tin- i . Iw lialf-iitarved 



while ha u expand to unusual cold, the tibro of the wool, a_ltli,.u. I, 

 perbap* somewhat finer, will be deficient in weight .iiul strength and 

 usefulness. 



What i* culled Irttatta ofilaple, or the fibres being of an equal size, 

 M of much importance in the manufacture of wool, for whenever the 

 wool aatume* an irregular and shagged or breachy appearance, there is 

 a weakness in the fibre and n ill be an irregularity in the manufacture, 

 especially if the fleece is submitted to the operation of tin 

 Connected with thin, and a most important quality, is the elattirll;/ of 

 the woolly fibre the disposition to yield, or submit to some elongation 

 of substance, some alteration of form, when it is distend. -I r pressed 

 upon, and the energy by means of which the original form is resumed 

 aa soon as the external force is reuiovt .1. 



Referrible to this elasticity or yielding character of the wool is its 

 ^liability and r 'final, and without which no manufacture of it can be 

 carried to any degree of |>erfection. The last quality which it is neces- 

 sary to mention is itufrll-vy projierty, that quality by which it may be 

 beaten or pressed together and worked into a soft and pliable substance 

 of almost any size and form. It would seem that the process of felting 

 is of far older date than that of weaving, and it is still continued not 

 only by the nomadic tribes of south-eastern Europe and of Asia, but it 

 is made occasionally to vie with the finest productions of the loom. 



Microscopic observations have unravelled the whole mystery of 

 felting, and of the employment of wool in almost every form. The 

 fibre, examined under a powerful microscope, appears like a continuous 

 vegetable growth, from which there are sprouting, and all tending one 

 way, from the root to the other extremity, numerous leaves, or serra- 

 tures, assuming the appearance of calices or cups and each terminating 

 in a sharp point. It is easy to conceive how readily one of these fibres 

 will move in a direction from the root to the point, while its retraction 

 must be exceedingly dilticult. if not impossible. It was a fibre of Merino 

 woil that was first submitted to microscopic observation, and the 

 number of these serrations or projections counted. There were 2400 

 in the wpacc of an inch. A fibre of Saxon wool finer than that of the 

 Merino, and of acknowledged superior felting quality, was substituted. 

 There were 2720 serrations. A fibre of Southdown wool, in its felting 

 power well known to be inferior to that of the Saxony and the Merino, 

 was placed in the field of vision. There were only 2080 serrations in 

 the space of an inch, or 040 less than the Saxony exhibited. The 

 Leicester wool is acknowledged to possess a less felting property than 

 the Southdown. There were only 1860 in the space of an inch. 

 Latterly the length of staple and the lustrous character of the wool 

 nave become qualities of high order, so that the long-wools of Lincoln- 

 shire are now of greater value than the short-wools 



We now proceed to take a rapid survey of the different breeds of 

 sheep, commencing with the . for by them or their con- 



geners tho first woollen manufactory at Winchester was supported. As 

 latterly improved by the Kllmans, Lugars, Rigdens, and Webbs, it has 

 exerted an extraordinary influence for gcod on all short- woolled breeds 

 of sheep in the country. The flock of Jonas Webb in particular has 

 furnished rams to all the best breeders of short-woolled sheep ; and tho 

 high estimation in which his breed is held was proved at its recent sale, 

 when 960 heep of all ages sold for nearly 11 OHM/. 



The Southdown sheep have succeeded admirably in all the southern 

 districts of the kingdom ; but the northern hills have occasionally 

 been too cold for them. Crosses between the Southdown and almost 

 every breed of middle-wool sheep have answered well ; while in 

 counties where it could have been least expected, the old breed is in a 

 great measure superseded by the Southdowns. 



We pass from Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, where a 

 black-faced short-woolled sheep, much improved by the Southdown*, 

 prevails, into Dorsetshire, and we find a very different and valuable 

 breed of sheep. They are white ; the face long and broad, with a tuft 

 of wool on the forehead ; the shoulders low but broad ; the chest deep : 

 the loins broad; and the bone small; a hardy and us. ml .slu , p. 

 Their chief peculiarity is the forwardness of the ewes, which supply 

 the market with lamb when it produces the highest pi irr. 



A M-ry profitable variety is found in a cross between the .South- 

 down and the Uorxet sheep. The carcase is increased, and the wool is 

 rendered more val' 



Returning through Somersetshire, we again meet with the South- 

 downs, either pure or materially improving the native breeds. In 

 Gloucestershire, the iihort-woolled sheep have given way to the 

 Cotswolda. 



In Herefordshire wo still meet with a few flocks of that breed of 

 sheep, which was in former times the pride of the axricultuiist the 

 Ryelands. They are small, polled, with white faces, tin- v.. . I growing 

 clone to and almost covering the eyes, tho carcase round and co 

 the animal quickly fattening, and the superabundant fat accumulating 

 within Tl ly, and peculiarly free from disease, and par- 



ticularly distinguished by tho fineness of their wool. 



Shropshire contains now a valuable characteristic breed of short- 



! woolled, large-framed sheep, which have of late yean achieved a high 



The Cheviot* extend from Westmoreland far into They 



-*entially from Isith the Mack- and the dm 

 whii h they are surrounded. The following is a description of tl 

 breed, thirty years ago. before they began to be crossed by the 

 Leicester! : " The head polled, bsre and clean, with < :\ good 



length ; ears not too short, and countenance of not too dark a 

 neck full, round, and not too long, well covered with wool.lmt v. 

 any coarse wool depending beneath; shoulders deep, full, and 

 chest full and open ; chine long, but not too much so ; straight, broad, 

 and wide across the fillets ; horn* round and full ; the body in general 

 round and full, and not too deep or flat either in the ribs or i 

 the fleece fine, close, short, and thick-set, of a medium length of pile, 

 without hairs at the bottom, and not curled on the shoulders, and 

 with very little coarse wool on the hip.-, tail, or belly." 



There are many Hoiks of pure cheviots, but in the majority of the 

 flocks there is a cross of Leicester blood. 



Tho other breed of short-woolled sheep which contend with the 

 Cheviots in number and value, is the Nurt-facttl R-H'I. They < 

 from Lancashire to the very north of Scotland. The males ore i 

 honied, tho horns of a spiral form, but the females are frequently 

 without horns. The faces and legs are always black or in 

 are covered with ool about the forehead and lower jaw : the tl' 

 long and somewhat coarse. The carcase is peculiarly compact; so 

 much so, that on account of the shortness, roundness, firmness, and 

 handsomeness of the carcase, it is called the ihurt sin cp. in opi 

 to the Cheviots or long sheep. Great numbers of these sheep are sent 

 to the London market. The weight of the carcase does not 

 lly from that of the Cheviot, and the fleece weighs abuir 

 pounds after it is washed. These sheep have been improved by selec- 

 tion, but have derived little advantage from any of the crosses that 

 ecn tried. 



We now arrive at ttieLong-- <. The following description 



of the .V< ic /. Mr. Culley will, to a very considerable degree, 



serve for all the varieties of the long-woollcd sheep. The head should 

 be hornless, long, small, tapering towards the mu/zle. and pn. 

 horizontally forwards. The eyes prominent, but with a quiet c 

 sion. The ears thin, rather long, and directed backwards ; the neck 

 full and broad at its base, but gradually tapering towards the head, and 

 particularly line at the junction of the head and neck. The neck 

 seeming to project straight from the chest, so that there is, with the 

 slightest possible deviation, one continued horizontal line fro- 

 rump to the poll. The breast broad aud full; the shoulJii 

 broad and round, aud no uneven or angular formation win i 

 shoulders join either the neck or the back, particularly 

 the withers, or hollow behind the situation of those bones. Th 

 fleshy through its whole extent, and even down to the knee. 'I he 

 bones of the legs small standing wide apart, no looseness of li 

 about them, and comparatively bare of wool. Tin ! barrel 



ore at once deep and round in the ribs, forming a cou>ider.ib|r 

 from tin- spine, so us in some cases, and especially when the ai 

 is in gurd condition, to make the apparent width > -t even 



greater than the depth. The barrel ribbed well home. .No nu 

 gularitittt of line on the back or the belly; but on the sides the carcase 

 very gradually diminishing in width towards the rump. 'I 

 long and full, aud as wide as the fore-legs. The in 

 down to the back, the thighs also wide and full. Tho legs of a 

 moderate length ; the pelt also moderately thin, but soft and elastic, 

 and covered with a good quantity of white wool, not so long as in 

 some breeds, but considerably finer. 



Such is the Leicester sheep as llakewell made him. He found him 

 as different so anil] -possible to conceive flat - 



boned, coarse-woolled. slow to fatten, and his flesh of little 

 Were there room for its insertion, a detailed history of the di. 

 steps of the changes would be most interesting to i 



-, ere simple, and the effect was almost magical The principle 

 was, that ' like produces like; " and therefore he selected 

 with aptitude to fatten, with a disposition to produce an unusual 

 quantity of valuable meat, with little bone aud offal, and with 

 ness of tempi i : and Irom these he exclusively bred. I' 

 about near or distant atlinities, l>i\t his object was i 



ut . a.i'l gradually to get rid of every bad one, Ti. 

 different sorts of sheep that he selected, but the best of i 

 which he had been accustomed. 



lli< sheep were smaller than those of his . but they 



retained every good point, and hail got rid only < Tho 



alteration was rapid as well as great in his own flock, anil the practice 

 which lie introduced ol Iiliin;i some of his rams quickly extend, 

 bcneiit. of his system far and wide. The first ram which he let 

 the year 1760, at I7. Ijd for the season. In 1789 In 



mean, and he cleared more than 6000 guineas in the same 

 by the letting of others. After that, so great w. 



for improvement, that Mr. Laurence calculates that lou.in u/. wire. 

 uuiually s|>ent by the midland fanners in the hiring of rai 



The chief value oi the neu i.ric<-,t.i in-red consists in the imp 

 mcnt which it has elli eted in ; , with which 



it has been crossed, in which its influence has corresponded among 



