THE INFLUENCE OF THE BREED-MAKER. 15 



Oxfords has been so much modified shows how great is the worship 

 of this fetish the wool-smothered face. 



The remarks which have been made bear on the face-covering 

 as it affects British breeds which are specially favoured in having, 

 whilst they mature without excessive fat, the advantage of supplying 

 the market with the highest-priced mutton the home, fresh- 

 killed, unchilled, finely-flavoured and finest-grained mutton. The 

 foreigner can find his way into any of the lower grade markets, 

 and it is surely worth while for the home breeder to cater for the 

 unassailed markets. But British breeders of the races which have 

 found most favour with the wealthy foreigners who have loose 

 purse-strings, cannot be blamed for having paid so much attention 

 to the wool aspect ; and up to a certain stage it was an advantage 

 to the British flock keeper to have the sheep improved both in 

 wool and meat ; they could afford to go alongside for a long 

 distance ; but now mutton stands out as so much the more valuable 

 portion of the sheep in the breeds of highest meat quality, that 

 the greater interest should be most regarded. Up to the time 

 before chilled meat became an important factor in our markets, 

 the foreigner in many countries regarded the sheep almost entirely 

 as a wool producer, and in searching British markets for improved 

 stock his first consideration was the wool. It was obviously the 

 soundest policy for the leading breeders who scooped up most of 

 the big prices paid by the foreigner, to cater for him. One cannot 

 feel otherwise than that in doing this the British interest was not 

 always the first consideration. Let it be understood it has not 

 suffered profoundly yet ; and in this lies the greatest hope for the 

 future. There is time to remedy what has gone a little to excess ; 

 but it is time to grapple with the question ; the danger lies in the 

 fact that minor breeds which have such a grand chance to come 

 into prominence and be of greatest value to the mutton producer, 

 appear to be following headlong into the error which has gone 

 before. 



It is time for the supporters of major breeds carefully to observe 

 the lines on which they are travelling, and great care should be 

 taken to model the new breeds on the soundest lines. The material 

 is there ; it is all a question as to how it will be handled. It must 

 be remembered that the home interests are not identical with the 

 foreign ; they can run parallel for a distance, but there is a parting 

 place, although mutton stands in a very different position in regard 

 to wool in the estimation of the foreign grower than it did before 

 he could ship his mutton to all parts of the world at a remunerative 

 price. The harm done is not serious. What has been put forward 

 has not been said to imply it ; it has been given rather in a 

 cautionary sense to warn against overdoing in the future. The 

 sheep stock of the world at present is short, and liberties can be 



