Chapter LVII. 



LINCOLNS. 



Like the Leicester, this breed is a very old one, made over. The 

 old native sheep of Lincolnshire, England, was a big, gaunt, raw-boned 

 animal capable of feeding to enormous weight, but requiring a large 

 amount of food, and a long time to accomplish it. After Bakewell's 

 time, Lincoln breeders began to use Leicester rams to improve their 

 flocks, with the result of decreasing size and length of time required to 

 mature ; increasing at the same time quality of flesh and wool, and 

 aptitude to fatten. 



So excellent was the basis and so great the improvement, that from 

 1860 (at which date the Lincoln breed was first given a separate class) 

 to 1870, the majority of prizes for long-wooled sheep at English fairs 

 were taken by the Lincolns. In America they have long been bred in 

 a small way, but there are as yet few breeders of any prominence. 

 Canada leads the United States in numbers of both Lincolns and Lei- 

 cesters, and most of the flocks now in the United States are descended 

 from Canada bred or Canada imported stock. Geary Brothers have a 

 fine flock of Lincolns at London, Ontario, Canada, and as they also 

 have a farm at Brookfield, Missouri where their large Aberdeen- 

 Angus and English shire interests are located it is presumable that 

 the Lincoln sheep will eventually become pretty well scattered and 

 favorably known, at least in Missouri. There are also flocks of some 

 size in Minnesota, Ohio, Iowa, Wisconsin and Kansas. An Ameri- 

 can Association has been organized, with L. C. Graham, of Cameron, 

 Illinois, secretary. 



DESCRIPTION AND CHARACTERISTICS. 



Color of face and legs white ; head large and conspicously free 

 from wool at the forehead, which narrows somewhat sharply backward. 

 The neck is of medium length, well set on to deep shoulders ; back 

 straight and full, but not so broad as in the Cotswold ; legs rather long, 

 firm, large boned ; and general appearance, if not sprightly, at least 

 strong and vigorous. The fleece is the longest of the long wools (comb- 

 ing), lustrous in character, and showing a staple from nine to twelve 

 inches in length. High-class flocks yield an annual clip of from nine 

 to fifteen pounds the fleece. 



282 



