ii2 ANIMAL PROTEINS 



sheep are extensively bred on the chalk lands which comprise 

 a very large percentage of the southern counties of England. 

 The " South Downs " are the best and most important, the 

 breed being the general utility sheep of England. They 

 are small but well-shaped animals with grey faces, no horns 

 and fine close wool. The pelt is only fair, but the mutton is 

 excellent and provides the meat sold in our best shops. 

 This breed has largely stocked New Zealand. The " South 

 Down " is a somewhat delicate animal, and has therefore 

 been largely crossed with Cotswolds and other breeds. 

 Many well-known cross-breeds are found in the eastern and 

 southern counties. The " Suffolks," for example, are found 

 in the eastern counties. They have black heads, faces and 

 legs. " Oxfords " and " Hampshires " are similar, but 

 larger. " Shropshires " are another hardy cross-breed, 

 which yield a heavier fleece. All the cross-breeds are larger 

 than the South Down and yield bigger pelts. 



Mountain breeds yield wool of varying quality but give 

 the best pelts. The " Cheviots " much favoured by the 

 Scotch farmers have a wool of medium length but with 

 much hair in it. They have white faces and legs and no 

 horns, and yield excellent pelts. The " Black- faced Mountain 

 Sheep " have longer wool but coarse, and yield good pelts. 

 They are kept in the hilly parts of North England and in the 

 Scottish Highlands. " Lonks " yield a large and good pelt, 

 but very coarse wool. The mutton is good. They are a very 

 large breed with much curved horns and black faces. There 

 are also some small breeds, " soft wools," " Shetlands," 

 and " Welsh Mountain Sheep." The wool of the last two 

 is poor, but the Welsh pelts are valued for their fine grain. 

 There are large numbers of sheepskins also imported, from 

 South and Central America, and from Australia, New 

 Zealand and the Cape. The colonies, however, have often 

 done their own fellmongering, and we have imported pickled 

 pelts. They now tan the skins also, and many tanned sheep- 

 skins are now imported. There are also many Indian skins 

 imported after tannage with turwash bark (cp. E.I. Goat, 

 Section II., p. 100). 



