82 



head, round the ears, and on the back of the hind legs almost 

 down to the hoof, as well as on the belly and scrotum. 



The head is of a good size, with a strong muzzle, and gaily 

 carried on a long, strong neck, well set up on the shoulders, giving 

 a particularly vigorous and stylish appearance. 



The Wensleydale is remarkably active and hardy, and, except in 

 the case of rams which have been fed up for Show purposes, the 

 general custom is to turn the rams up on to the moors and hill 

 grazings to the Blackface ewes. The carcase is lean, and the 

 mutton is of higher quality than that of most Longwool breeds. 



The name Wensleydale Avas assumed in 1876 to distinguish the 

 breed in the showyard ; and the two flock books, viz. : that of the 

 Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Breeders' Association and that of 

 the Wensleydale Blue-faced Sheep Breeders' Association, were 

 both established in 1890. The division of the breeders into two 

 sections is unfortunate ; there appears to be no real necessity for 

 two Flock Books though the conditions of entry are slightly 

 different. 



THE SOUTH DEVON SHEEP. 



The South Devon is an ancient local breed of conspicuous merit, 

 being the chief breed of Cornwall and largely in evidence in South 

 Devon. The publication of the first volume of the South Devon 

 Flock Book Association, in 1904, brought the breed into pro- 

 minence. The oldest foundation flocks date back considerably over 

 a century, although many have been established within the last 

 25 years. 



Utility of the Breed. The carcase is noted for fulness of lean 

 meat, and the breed's capacity for laying on flesh was fully demon- 

 strated at Smithfield in 1909, when the first pen of wether lambs 

 gave the average daily gain from birth of 13*51 ozs., the record 

 daily gain for lambs at Smithfield. It is claimed for the South 

 Devon that it possesses great robustness of constitution ; is large, 

 symmetrical, and well grown, with plenty of bone and muscle ; 

 vigorous and thrifty and equally adapted to the fold or to grazing 

 land ; able to thrive upon hard fare and in exposed places. The 

 head is a good size and well covered with wool ; the ears, often 

 black spotted, are well covered with hair. The fleece is of 

 conspicuous merit a long staple of lustrous wool, curly and dense 

 on the pelt and free from kemp. 



South Devon Sheep at the Smithfield Show, 1902-1911. 



