SHEEP 337 



The face is bare and pure white. The body is scarcely as low set 

 as that of some of the other breeds, but is a little longer. The back is 

 exceptionally wide, and the quarters very smoothly rounded on top. 

 No breed possesses a more marked aptitude to fatten, a characteristic 

 which places a special premium upon the Leicester for crossing pur- 

 poses. The wool of the sheep is lustrous, five or six inches long, and 

 very soft, though frequently too open, and sometimes absent on the 

 belly. 



The Lincoln. This is the largest sheep of the British Isles, and 

 also possesses the heaviest and strongest fleece of wool. The breed is 

 a growth of many years' culture in the Lincolnshire fens and ad- 

 joining districts. Here, agriculture has been carried on under the 

 highest system, and roots, grasses and grain, all grown in profusion, 

 have been the means of developing a very large-framed sheep. The 

 Lincoln of early times, like that of today, was a large sheep, but was 

 coarse, and of slow maturity. Marked improvement was effected by 

 a cross of the improved Leicester. The modern Lincoln is a magni- 

 ficent-looking sheep. The head is rather long and massive, the face 

 pure white, free from wool, but surmounted by a conspicuous tuft of 

 wool. The body is exceedingly full in its development all over. The 

 wool is long in fibre, very strong, and noted for its lustre. It is 

 especially valuable for the worsted class of goods, as well as for braids, 

 bunting for flags, etc., where length and strength are needed. As to 

 mutton qualities, the breed is a little large and strong to meet the ap- 

 proved demands of an exacting market. Their special value seems to 

 be for crossing upon the common American stock to improve their 

 size. Farmers generally are not recommended to adopt this breed, 

 unless they were prepared to accord them somewhat of the same 

 luxurious feeding as their ancestors were accustomed to on their 

 native soil. 



The Cotswold. This breed, contrary to the haibit of most long- 

 wooled sheep, has made its home on the uplands the Cotswold hills 

 of Gloucester and adjoining counties. It is a very ancient breed and, 

 with the exception of a little resort to Leicester blood to improve the 

 quality, has been kept pure for a long period. In form, the Cotswold 

 is rather deeper, squaror in outline, and larger than the Leicester, in 

 fact, rivalling the Lincoln in size. The head is rather long, but wide 

 between the eyes, though scarcely as massive as that of a typical 

 Lincoln. The face is usually white, but dashes of grey are quite ad- 

 missible and, by many, admired. The face is surmounted with a 

 full, long forelock. It is said of the Cotswolds that they are a sheep 

 that "can look over a hurdle" in reference to the prominent way in 

 which they carry their heads. Many Cotswolds are, on this account, 

 inclined to be ewe-necked, although this has boon bml out of the best 

 of them. As regards wool, Cotswold breeders prefer a bold, open curl, 

 rather than the close, spiral of the Leicester. A long, strong fibre 

 that yields heavy is the ideal. Owing to its length, the fleece is some- 

 times open along the back. In regard to mutton qualities, Cotswolds 

 are open to the same criticism as the Lincoln and their greatest value 

 in this country is for crossing upon and improving the size of the 



