THE DEVON LONGWOOLS. 315 



rather coarse in quality, They are now so intermixed with 

 Leicester blood as to partake more of the character of that 

 breed than of the old stock ; crosses with the Lincolshire and 

 with the Exmoor breed are also met with." 



This description scarcely did justice to the improved breed 

 as it existed then, and certainly does not adequately represent 

 the marked features and valuable characteristics of the Devon 

 Longwool to be found in the best flocks at the present period. 

 A well-bred animal of this variety differs from a pure 

 Leicester, in having a longer and larger face, with greater 

 width at the forehead and nose, the ears longer. The frame 

 is more bulky, and of far greater length, although not quite 

 so round or compact, but the girth is equal to that of the 

 Leicester. The Devon Longwool also appears higher than a 

 pure-bred Leicester. In good constitution and hardihood the 

 former surpasses the latter ; it will attain much greater weight 

 of carcass, and more flesh in a given time, and is likewise 

 reputed to come earlier to maturity. 



Wilson's account does not at all serve to indicate the pre- 

 sent realisations in meat and wool. The wether sheep are 

 never kept until two years old, being fattened as hogs the first 

 winter on turnips, and come out in the months of March, A[>ril, 

 and May weighing from 221b. to 241b., and in some cases 251b. 

 the quarter; and when shorn they cut from 91b. to 111b. of 

 clean washed wool each, although shorn as lambs the preceding 

 year. This much is usually obtained by natural food, with 

 very little, if any, assistance from oilcake or corn. In some 

 instances high feeding is resorted to, but in those cases the 

 hoggets ripen for the shambles at these weights at much earlier 

 periods. The ewes are also affluent wool bearers, the fleeces 

 of the best flocks averaging from 81b. to 91b. each. The lambs 

 cut from 2| to 3jlb. of wool each. 



Mr. A. C. Skinner, Pound Farm, Bishop's Lydiard, in a com- 

 munication bearing date November 30th, 1886, has given me 

 useful information on this point. After stating that when 

 he went into the management of his farm in 1862, he took 

 from his predecessor a very good flock of Devon Longwools, 

 he adds, "We now bring out the wethers from three to six 

 months earlier than we did at that time, at about the same 



