73 



11. Feet, fairly large, sound and hard ; pasterns, strong. 



12. The characteristic wool of the particular breed covering 



the whole body well and evenly. 



Longwoolled sheep of which the chief breeds are the Leicester, 

 Border Leicester, Lincoln, Romney Marsh, Cotswold, Wensleydale, 

 South Devon, Devon Longwool, and Roscommon are associated 

 with fairly rich soils or with arable districts in which food is 

 plentiful, and are characterised by their absence of horns, great 

 size, long wool (usually possessing the silvery glistening appearance 

 described as " lustre "), heavy fleece, white, or almost white, face 

 and legs. They are as a rule quickly growing and easily fattened, 

 but the carcases are apt to be too fat, and the mutton is as a rule 

 of only second-rate quality, being of poor flavour and colour, and 

 coarse in the grain. 



Without exception all the Longwoolled breeds have been, at one 

 time or other, improved by crossing with the Leicester. 



THE LEICESTER. 



History of the Leicester. The Leicester was the first British 

 breed improved by systematic selection and in-and-in-breeding. 

 Bakewell, at Dishley in Leicestershire, began the system about 

 1755, and his efforts were aided by the simultaneous extension of 

 the cultivation of the turnip as a field crop, which provided what 

 was unobtainable before a liberal supply of succulent winter food. 

 The old ungainly slow-maturing Leicester, which had been bred 

 merely for size and a heavy fleece, was transformed into an early- 

 maturing, compact, symmetrical, moderate-sized animal, possessing 

 great aptitude to fatten, and a marvellous power of communicating 

 its own qualities to breeds with which it is crossed. Bakewell 

 aimed at producing a valuable carcase, and regarded the fleece as a 

 secondary consideration. He originated the practice of letting out 

 rams for the season instead of selling them. This gave him a 

 large number of sheep to select from in pairing different types. It 

 took 20 years so to convince his neighbours of the soundness of his 

 system that they were willing to pay a 10-guinea fee for the hire of 

 some of his choicest rams. Four or five years later the fee rose to 

 100 guineas, and in 1786 he let two-thirds of the service of a ram 

 for 200 guineas, and received in all 1,000 guineas for hires. So 

 quickly did the merits of his sheep grow in public favour that " in 

 1789 he made 1,200 guineas by three rams, 2,000 guineas by seven 

 others," and 3,000 guineas for the remainder. His highest rate 

 was 800 guineas from two breeders for two-thirds of the season's 

 services of his favourite, " Two-pounder." 



The Dishley Society was formed in 1790 for the preservation of 

 the purity of the Leicester, and, by means of rules of extraordinary 

 stringency, an attempt was made to create a sort of monopoly in the 

 interests of Bakewell and a few friends. The only unselfish 

 condition of interest was that " no member shall give his rams at 

 any season of the year any other food than green vegetables, hay and 



