

LONG WOOLED BREEDS 



LECTURE NO. 15. 



LEICESTER SHEEP ORIGIN AND HISTORY, CHARAC- 

 TERISTICS AND PRINCIPAL POINTS. 



ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 



I. The Leicester breed of sheep is so named 

 from the county in England in which it originated. 



(1) It was formerly frequently spoken of as the New 

 Dishley breed, from the home of Robert Bakewell, its origi- 

 nator, who lived at Dishley Hall, near Loughboro, in Leices- 

 tershire, but 



(2) It was more commonly known as the New Leicester. 



II. The formation of the breed. 



(1) The Improved Leicester was built upon a foundation 

 of the old long wooled sheep of the neighborhood, commonly 

 spoken of as the Old Dishley breed. 



(2) They were large, coarse, long and thin in the carcass, 

 had flat sides, large bones and thick, rough legs ; their wool 

 was long and coarse and they were withal slow feeders. 



III. When improvement was effected. 



(1) Bakewell commenced the work of improvement in 

 I 755 r about that date, and continued it until his death. 



(2) He left an animal so perfectly developed that there 

 was left little chance for further improvement unless in the 

 line of wool production. 



IV. How improvement was effected. 



(1) Bakewell invariably chose animals for breeding which 

 possessed in the highest degree the qualities which he sought. 



(2) He rendered these permanent by continued selection 

 and in-and-in breeding. 



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