8 SHEEP I BREEDS AND MANAGEMENT. 



wolds, or Southdowns, but the general stocking of farms will 

 be found to be upon the lines indicated. 



DISTRIBUTION OF SHEEP. 



Taking the United Kingdom as a whole we find that the 

 general distribution of sheep is represented at about 600 sheep 

 per 1,000 acres of agricultural land, associated with 214 cattle 

 of all ages, 40 horses, and 80 pigs upon the same area. 



The relative sheep populations of the various portions of 

 the United Kingdom are shown as follows : 



England maintains 632 sheep per 1,000 acres. 

 Scotland 1,380 ,, 



Wales 964 



Ireland 241 



We see, then, that Caledonia is the land for sheep and shep- 

 herds, and of the delights of arcadian and pastoral life. Next 

 to her comes " gallant little Wales," while England is evi- 

 dently more conspicuously divided between sheep, cattle and 

 corn-growing. 



The following are the principal English sheep-breeding 

 counties according to the most recent agricultural returns : 



Total Number 



County. Total area. of Sheep. 



Lincoln 1,767,962 1,206,684 



Northumberland 1,290,312 9'4>973 



Kent 1,004,934 896,566 



Devonshire 1,655,161 835,441 



Wilts 859,303 626,132 



Dorset 627,265 ...' ... 426,254 



Although Scotland possesses so many sheep, the difference 

 in fertility between that country and of England is readily 

 seen upon examining statistics as to the number of sheep 

 maintained. Thus we find, on glancing at the most recent 

 agricultural statistics of Great Britain, the following figures 

 representing the number of sheep in various Scotch 

 counties: 



