THE SHEEP OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



Leicesters, which averaged 30?. 10s. (less than Mr. Clarke's 

 three- shears), and Miss Starkie's Border Leicesters, thirty-six, 

 at 28?. 15s. The reader may perhaps wonder why the name of 

 Mr. Marshall, of Branston — who has been the most successful 

 exhibitor — is not included in the above list. The reason is, that 

 he devoted his attention almost exclusively to the foreign trade, 

 all the sheep he had for disposal being forwarded to distant 

 parts of the globe. In 1861 he sold one to an Australian 

 customer for 100 guineas, and in the following year he 

 despatched 134 rams, principally to Australia and South 

 America. 



In order to show the relative value of Lincolns, as compared 

 with other breeds, a brief report may be given of some practical 

 experiments carried out by the Parlington Tenants* Club in 

 1861-2, as published in the " Year Book of Agricultural Facts 

 for 1861 " : On the 4th of October, 1861, six sheep of each of 

 the undermentioned breeds were turned upon rape, so that 

 nature might have its course with natural food, and without 

 tint, until the 11th of November, during which time the cross 

 from the Teeswater gained 2st. 21b., the Border Leicesters 5st. 

 lib., the Lincolns 3st. 61b., the Shropshire Downs 61b., the 

 Leicesters 1st. 131b., and the Cotswolds 5st. 81b. ; while the 

 Southdowns lost 111b. On the 11th of November the sheep 

 were again folded, the several crosses being then in a pretty 

 equal state for taking on condition. If a lead could be supplied, 

 t might be in favour of the Cotswolds, from the start this class 

 had made in the latter part of the summer grazing, and 

 whilst on the rape. The whole of the sheep had as many 

 swede turnips as they could consume, and half a pound of linseed 

 cake per day, with the exception of the Lincolns, and these, for 

 forty-two days, had a quarter of a pound extra ; but this 

 extra cake was placed to their debit in like manner as the 

 various weights of turnips consumed were to that of the 

 several classes. For the comprehensive tables giving the result 

 of the experiments reference must be made to the "Year 

 Book" in question, but it may be stated briefly that the 

 relative value which one class of sheep bore to the other 

 (after deducting the value of the food from the value of the 

 mutton and wool) when the sheep were slaughtered in Feb- 



