CHAPTER VII. 



LONGWOOLS. 

 THE LEICESTER. 



The Leicester is the great historic breed of this country from 

 more than one aspect. It was the one to which modern methods 

 of selection and mating to establish a new breed were first applied, 

 and it exercised an influence over almost all British types at a 

 time when they were in a very crude and uneconomical condition. 

 It did this in comparatively few years, with a success that revolu- 

 tionised the sheep stock of this country, and, to a great extent, 

 throughout the wool-growing world. Moreover, although as 

 a breed its direct influence and importance have diminished, the 

 breeds which came under its earlier influence still retain in a 

 prominent degree, and as essential to their success, characteristics 

 and features imparted fully a century ago. It was on a local breed, 

 one of the long-wool type of the lowland of the Midland Counties, 

 but not marsh pastures, that Bakewell worked, when he started 

 at Dishley, near Loughborough, to improve sheep about 1755. 

 Since then there have been many breed makers, but his was the 

 master-mind who, with nothing of an historic experience or know- 

 ledge to guide him, created a new art or science, which has been 

 almost invaluable to the world, and has been applied to practically 

 all domestic animals with such marked success. His work was 

 very quickly crowned with success ; he obtained a fixed type 

 which could be imparted to the offspring, secured earlier maturity, 

 and, by selection, moulded the sheep into type to which all mutton- 

 making breeds have been assimilated ; he paid less attention to the 

 wool, but as the wool of almost all breeds was improved by the 

 Leicester cross, he did not leave much to be desired. In giving 

 special attention to the mutton features, and thus educating 

 sheep-breeders what to aim at, and how to attain it, he was most 

 usefully employed. 



It was somewhat remarkable that Bakewell should have had 

 at hand a breed that was so admirably adapted to be dealt with 

 as a pioneer, and at any rate it showed his great discernment in 

 choosing it. The propensity to fatten, and to attain early maturity 

 which the improved Leicester developed, would probably not have 

 been attained in so marked a degree had any other race been taken 

 in hand similarly. Its wonderful heart girth was an asset of 

 greatest value, as it is in all meat-making animals. In course of 

 time some of the breeds which had been brought under the influence 

 of the Leicester made very strong rivals. The tendency to produce 

 fat became excessive in the light of popular taste. The Leicester 

 was somewhat lacking in constitution, and generally proved more 



