THE RADNOR SHEEP. 417 



of the Radnors being superseded on their native hills for some 

 time to come. The gradual improvement in their character 

 that has been effected of late years will tend still more to make 

 them pre-eminent in the districts they now occupy. With 

 increased attention to breeding and greater care taken of them 

 in the winter months they may yet attain to a higher average 

 merit, and become still more profitable. Both the easiest and 

 most natural way of improving the Eadnors, if crossing is 

 resorted to, is by giving them a dash of Shropshire Down blood. 

 The Shropshire sheep, now become so aristocratic in their new 

 form, blend well with their neighbours and poor relations under 

 the control and skill of the breeder. The Radnors cannot, 

 however, be pushed far in the direction of weight or rapidity to 

 fatten without losing the especial qualities for which they are so 

 prized, and becoming unsuited to the hills. As lowland sheep 

 on fertile pastures they can never hope to rival the popular 

 improved breeds already in existence. As mountain sheep in 

 their own district, there is no reason to wish their displacement 

 by any other breed. It would be difficult to find any sheep so 

 suited to the uplands on which they are kept, and to the treat- 

 ment to which they are subjected. One thing also which tends 

 considerably to perpetuate local breeds of cattle or sheep is that 

 they meet with a ready sale in their own districts. They have 

 markets of their own, where they are popular amongst the 

 farmers of the country around, and purchasers from abroad 

 visiting the fairs go there specially for an accustomed class of 

 animal. English drovers, for instance, go to Pembrokeshire or 

 Carnarvonshire for black cattle, and look with indifference on 

 store stock of any other colour, which they can readily obtain 

 nearer home. And the English grazier who goes to Kington or 

 Knighton fairs for Radnors would not be likely to return with 

 a flock of Cheviot ewes, should there be any offered for sale at 

 those places. A local breed in store condition always commands 

 the best price in its own locality. On this ground a change in 

 the mountain sheep of the district is not advantageous, at least 

 to the introducers of the new breed ; and it will almost always. 

 be found better to improve the breed of sheep already acclima- 

 tised and in demand than to attempt to replace them by stock 

 foreign to the country. 



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