242 



THE SHEEP OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



development of arable fanning, which allowed of regular and 

 progressive feeding from birth to death ; and hence we find 

 that a given result is produced in half the time formerly 

 occupied. 



Unfortunately for the historian, it is only of late years that 

 the importance of statistical information has been acknowledged. 

 Youatt, in 1837, estimated the sheep stock of the kingdom at 

 32,000,000 head ; their wool at over seven millions of pounds 

 sterling, employing nearly 350,000 individuals, and ultimately 

 yielding at least 21 millions of pounds annually. Lavergne, 

 who wrote in 1855, estimated the sheep stock of Great Britain 

 at 35,000,000, of which nearly 30,000,000 are found in England 

 alone, being proportionately three times more than in France. 

 Our statistical information dates from 1868, and is admittedly 

 defective, owing to the hostility evinced by many who ought to 

 have known better, but, such as it is, reads thus : — 



Years. 



1868 

 1869 

 1870 

 1871 

 1872 

 1873 

 1874 

 1875 

 1876 

 1877 

 1878 

 1879 

 1880 

 1881 

 1882 

 1883 

 1884 

 1885 



England. 



20,930,779 

 19,821,863 

 18,940,256 

 17,530,407 

 17,912,904 

 19,^59,851 

 19,859,7r8 

 19,114,634 

 18,320,091 

 18,330,377! 

 18,444,004' 

 !l8,445,522| 

 116,828,646 

 |15,382,856 

 114,947,994 

 !l5,594,660 

 16,428,064 

 16,809,778 



Wales. 



2,668,505 

 2,720,941 

 2,706,479 

 2,706,415 

 2,867,144 

 2,966,862 

 3,064,696 

 2,951,810 

 2,863,141 

 2,862,013 

 2,925,806 

 2,873,460 

 2,718,316 

 2,466,945 

 2,517,914 

 2,581,250 

 2,656,997 

 2,767,659 



Total. 



35,607,812 

 34,250,272 



32,786,783 

 31,403,500 

 32,246,642 

 33,982,404 

 34,837,597 

 33,491,948 

 32,257,579 

 32,220,067 

 32.571,018 

 32,237,958 

 30,239,620 

 27,896,273 

 27,448,220 

 28,347,560 

 29,376,787 

 30,086,200 



Defective as the above undoubtedly is, it is pretty clear that 

 Lavergne, and probably Youatt, estimated in excess of the 

 actual number ; because from 1855 to 1868 the general progress 

 was very considerable, and it is tolerably certain that the sheep 

 stock also developed. Between 1868 and 1872 there was a rapid 

 and severe diminution. This was mainly attributable to the 



