CHAPTER IV. 



SHEEP CENSUS. 



In 1908 the Boards of Trade and Agriculture co-operated to 

 ascertain the number of sheep in the several breeds of sheep in 

 Great Britain. The figures arrived at may be accepted as being 

 fairly representative of the breeds and types ; but the Boards 

 recognised the disadvantages they were working under in taking 

 on the work with little opportunity to make arrangements for 

 obtaining absolute exactness. For practical purposes they may, 

 however, be accepted as a reasonably reliable guide. The divisions 

 of " Scotch," " North " or " North Country," and " Downs," 

 are not actual breeds, and would be returned by those who are 

 hazy as to the actual breeding, and therefore describe them in a 

 generic manner ; probably a large portion would be half-breds. 

 Possibly the divisions would have been better expressed as " breed 

 and crosses in which the breed predominates." The large number 

 of Blackfaced Mountain Sheep would doubtless surprise many, 

 but probably the big head of Cheviots would be a greater surprise ; 

 one would expect the popular verdict to be that Welsh Mountain 

 Sheep would be found in greater numbers. 



The influence of the Southdown, as shown by the pure South- 

 down and the breeds which have acquired characteristic " Down " 

 features, falls little short of the Blackfaced Mountain in numbers 

 5,278,000 against 5,579,000. Further, the greater size, and more 

 rapid maturity of the Downs, are points of great economic 

 importance ; and as they so quickly reach the butcher, the 

 sheep under Down influence undoubtedly contribute the greatest 

 weight of mutton, although probably a large proportion of those 

 included under the heading of Scotch may justly be classified 

 as Blackfaced. No doubt the popular estimate of individual 

 breeds has been largely influenced by the extent to which they 

 have appeared in the showyard, and the publication of this analysis 

 of breeds serves useful purposes. One or two other points may 

 be referred to. The sheep commonly classified as Longwools are 

 represented by 4,840,000. The Cheviot, which stands second 

 on the list, has had a share in the making-up of some recognised 



