INTRODUCTORY. 243 



dry summers of 1868 and 1870, which caused great losses, lambs 

 being destroyed wholesale in those districts which suffered most. 

 It is also probable that the sheep stock of 1868 was increased 

 on account of the losses of cattle by disease, which led to a 

 larger number of ewes being kept ; but it will be evident that 

 in 1874 we had nearly reached the same numbers. In 1876 and 

 to 1879 there was very little variation. Then came the wet 

 years, with liver disease and foot-and-mouth complaint, and we 

 saw an alarming decrease, which culminated in 1882, when in 

 round numbers our sheep stock was lessened by 8,000,000 from the 

 figures of 1868, or about 22| per cent. The last three years have 

 shown a steady increase, mainly attributable to the comparative 

 freedom from contagious disease which we have enjoyed. The 

 fact that a large area of land has been laid to grass, whilst it 

 may increase the resources for cattle feeding, would not help 

 sheep stock, as it is well known that more stock can be kept on 

 tillage land than grass ; but the leaving down clover and grass 

 seeds for two, three, and four years leys should afford more 

 food for sheep, and this may partly account for the facts. 



Without going into the vexed question of the origin of races, 

 we find in the natural conditions a sufiicient cause for the 

 differences observable in our domestic animals. Let us com- 

 pare, for example, the short and long woolled varieties, which 

 appear to have existed in this country from the earliest times. 

 In the former we have small bodies, short wool, great activity, 

 and hardiness — just the features that would result from having 

 to travel far, and feed close upon the scanty though sweet 

 pasturage of the downs ; on the other hand, the larger framed 

 Longwools, though equally or probably of even slower growth, 

 finding greater abundance of food on the rich pastures of the 

 Midland districts, or in the uplands of the Cotswold ranges, 

 had not to travel so wide, and consequently became more 

 developed both as to wool and frame. We acquire this know- 

 ledge by analogy — viz., by seeing the effect of a change of 

 circumstances. The small frames and close wool of the Sussex 

 Down alters materially when placed upon rich lowlands, and so 

 great is the change that it is often (as we believe wrongly) 

 attributed to a cross of blood. 



We would refer the reader to the different types of sheep 



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