58 SHEEP FARMING IN AMERICA 



kept in large flocks in the eastern states, though 

 they are healthy in Canada, Oregon and other cooler 

 regions. There is hardly any more grand and 

 stately sheep than the well-bred and well-fitted Cots- 

 wold as it appears at our great shows. 



LINCOLNS. 



Quite like the Cotswold is the Lincoln. To the 

 careful observer, however, there is a considerable 

 difference in the type. The Lincoln is the heaviest 

 breed, probably, in the world, and in England Lin- 

 coins have been known to dress 90 pounds per quar- 

 ter. The wool is extraordinarily long, samples be- 

 ing shown of 21 inches growth, and rams sometimes 

 shear the extraordinary amount of 30 pounds. The 

 cross-bred Lincoln-Merino wool is of high value. 



The new Lincoln sheep is the product of Leicester 

 crosses upon the old Lincoln. He is truly a magnifi- 

 cent creation of the long-wooled character, requiring 

 rich pastures and plenty of space. As a mutton 

 sheep he is inferior to the down breeds as far as 

 quality is concerned, but for crossing purposes no 

 class of sheep is in greater demand, and the highest 

 prices in recent years have been paid by Argen- 

 tine buyers for Lincoln rams. In truth, the great 

 mutton exporting business of Argentina is based 

 largely upon the use of Lincoln blood on Merino 

 foundation, and it is not generally known that, their 

 sheep are far superior to our own in quality and 

 are therefore much more acceptable in the British 

 markets. 



