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Cotswolds have been exported to most parts of the world, the 

 chief market being the United States and Canada, in which 

 countries the breed is one of the best known of longwoolled sheep ; 

 in recent years many animals have been sent to the Argentine. 



The Flock Book Society was established in 1891. 



Cotswold Sheep at the Smithfield Show, 1902-1911. 



THE WENSLEYDALE. 



The Wensleydale is a large, high-standing, long-sided, firm-fleshed 

 Yorkshire sheep, and has a characteristic deep blue colour in the 

 skin of the face, legs, and ears ; this colour sometimes extends over 

 the whole body, though the shade is darker on the bare or 

 hairy parts. Pure flocks are kept very largely to supply rams 

 for crossing, particularly with the various breeds of the Black- 

 faced mountain race. On this account the dark colour in the 

 face is favoured as increasing the darkness of the face of the 

 cross lambs. In the north of England the cross with the Black- 

 face is known as the " Masham," from the town in Yorkshire 

 where a large sheep fair is held. In the lowland districts Masham 

 ewes are often crossed again with Wensleydale or Leicester rams^ 

 the resulting animal being known as a " twice-crossed " lamb. The 

 Wensleydale is one of the largest and heaviest of longwoolled 

 sheep, but, being rather slow in maturing compared with Leicesters 

 and Border Leicesters, it is chiefly used where lambs are to be sold 

 as stores in autumn rather than as early fat lambs. Great numbers 

 of " Mashams " and " twice-crossed " lambs are sold in the autumn 

 fairs and fattened on turnips, particularly in the arable districts of 

 Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. 



In Scotland the rams are usually known as Yorkshires, and the 

 crosses with the Blackface as Yorkshire crosses. 



Origin of the Wensleydale. The present breed is believed^ to 

 have descended from a large white-faced variety, the " Mugs," of 

 the Teeswater district of Yorkshire. The Dishley Leicester was 

 employed to refine it, and the blue colour was introduced by 

 Richard Outhwaite's Bluecap, a famous half-bred Leicester ram 

 born in 1839, with a dark blue head and a nearly black skin. 



Distinctive Characteristics of the Breed. Bright, lustrous, long- 

 wool of open character, divided into uniform little knots or 

 pirls, covers nearly the whole surface of the body. A fine tutt 

 grows on the forehead and finely pirled wool on the back of the 



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