On Breeding In and In, 53 



both from their numbers and value, are kept more se- 

 lect than any other animal. 



Another circumstance which always convinced me 

 as much as any other, was this, that take a poor moun- 

 tain ewe, that would not weigh more than from 12 to 

 14 pounds per quarter, and cross Avith a large Lincoln- 

 shire or Leicester ram, the lambs would be ready 

 sooner for market, and for the first two months weigh 

 as much as lambs bred from the ewes of the same 

 large breed, though afterwards, the large breed would 

 get the ascendancy. And though it has been the gen- 

 eral opinion, that the noted Bakewell, (a man who de- 

 serves the thanks of every farmer) always bred in and 

 in, yet during ten years that I lived in Yorkshire, the 

 shape of his sheep was so entirely altered twice, 

 that it was the opinion of intelligent farmers in that 

 neighbourhood, that such a speedy change could only 

 be effected by crossing the breed. One change in par- 

 ticular I will specify : the first kind of them that came 

 into Yorkshire, had very short legs, and broad backs, 

 and were so heavy and clumsy, that in the spring when 

 loaded with wool, they would get over on their backs, 

 and there lie till they died, if not continually watched 

 and turned over. To remedy this inconvenience, in the 

 course of two seasons, the fashion varied, and the rams 

 that were hired were much longer on the legs, and 

 walked loftier, whilst the beautiful small nose and 

 sharp ears were retained, also the general appearance 

 of the carcass, but yet many were of opinion, they 

 could distinctly trace a resemblance with the South 

 Down ; this, however, was only conjecture, as at our 

 distance we could only judge by appearances. 



