LEICESTERS. 28 1 



cester breed was firmly fixed, both in character and popularity. What- 

 ever may be said of Mr. Bakewell's selfish reserve regarding his plan of 

 breeding, it cannot be denied that he has done great good in improving 

 the modern breeds of sheep a statement more easily believed when we 

 realize that the New or Improved Leicester has had much to do in 

 improving nearly all of the modern mutton breeds. 



In America the Leicesters have not been extensively bred and 

 advertised, although in Canada they are much better known and appre- 

 ciated than in the United States. The first importation of which we 

 have any record was made by Christopher Dunn, of Albany, New York, 

 in 1812, and there are, perhaps, not over a score of breeders on any- 

 thing like an extensive scale in the United States to-day, and none, at 

 least to our knowledge, in the South. An American Leicester Breeders' 

 Association has been organized, with A. J. Temple, of Cameron. 111., 

 secretary 



DESCRIPTION AND CHARACTERISTICS. 



Color of face and legs white ; head small and clean, with tuft of 

 wool at forehead (not so long as in case of Cotswold) ; the eyes are 

 bright ; ears of good size, placed well back ; neck and shoulders square 

 and deep ; back straight, with deep carcass ; hind quarters not so full 

 and square as in the Cotswold, but fairly well padded, and legs clean 

 and fine-boned. Mr. Wm. Rivers, a prominent breeder of both Lei- 

 cesters and Southdowns in Canada, writes us under date July 2, 1888, 

 as follows : 



" The flesh (of the Leicester) is juicy, but of moderate quality, and is remarkable for 

 the amount of outside fat it carries. They are not considered so hardy as other large 

 breeds, and require shelter and good keep. We have found the ewes to be prolific and 

 good mothers, but the young lambs require more attention than those of the Southdown. 

 Early maturity and aptitude to fatten are the principal characteristics of the breed." 



We may add that some other breeders have not found the Lei- 

 cesters prolific, and it is generally believed that prolificacy is not one of 

 the Leicester's strong claims. 



The Leicester fleece is classed with the long wools (combing) 

 showing a staple of from six to ten inches, and high-class flocks shear- 

 ing an average of eight or nine pounds. In size, they are among the 

 large breeds fat two-year-old wethers weighing from 230 to 260 

 pounds, and mature breeding rams about 190 to 215 pounds. 



Of our illustrations, one represents a group of Canada-bred sheep, 

 engraved after a sketch from life ; the other represents a ewe, bred and 

 raised in England. 



