453 



Chapter XXXIX. 



ON SHEEP. 



The vast importance of sheep to our agriculture may be estimated by 

 the fact, that their number in this country lias been lately calculated to 

 amount in the United Kingdom to upwards of thirty-two millions. 



The breeds are various, each marked by some peculiarity of its own ; 

 differing both in size, flavour of the meat, quantity and quality of the wool, 

 as well as hardihood, according to the nature of the soils and climate in 

 which they are bred ; the study of which forms an interesting subject to 

 the naturalist, though more especially to tlie farmer, who is mainly inte- 

 rested in the choice best adapted to his land and situation. The discussion 

 would, however, lead us farther than this publication will admit, and is, 

 indeed, here unnecessary, as their history will be detailed in the work now 

 publishing, in the Farmer's Series, by Mr. Youatt, under the direction of 

 the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. We shall therefore 

 merely remark, that the chief distinction lies between the species reared 

 upon the thin soiled uplands of the downs and mountainous heathy pasture 

 — small of carcass and covered with a close but short coat of fine wool, and 

 those fed in the marshes on other rich lowlands, where they acquire greater 

 flesh, together with both longer and coarser wool ; which has occasioned 

 the two kinds to be distinctively termed " short- woolled" and " long-woolled.'' 

 The different breeds of these separate sorts are also in some cases polled, 

 and in others they bear horns ; and the character of the chief kinds may 

 be generally estimated under the following succinct synopsis. 



South-down, polled . 



Wilts and Chiltern, horned 



Dorset, ditto . . 



Portland, ditto 



Exmoor and Dartmoor, ditto 



Cornish, ditto . . 



Ryeland, polled . 



Dean Forest and Mendip, horned 



Norfolk, ditto 



Cannock Heath, polled . 



Shropshire Morf, horned 



Delamere Forest, ditto . 



Herdwick, polled . . 



Cheviot, ditto 



Scotch Heath, horned . 



Shetland, horned and polled 



Welsh Mountain, ditto . 



Irish, horned 



Pure Merino, horned and polled 



Bampton Notts, polled . 

 South Ham ditto, ditto . 

 Cotswold, ditto . . 



Romney Marsh, ditto 

 Dishley, ditto 



Leicester and Lincoln, ditto 

 Teeswater, ditto . . 



Irish, ditto . 



