76 BRITISH SHEEP AND SHEPHERDING. 



of Brookland, one of the biggest flockmasters in a district 

 where flock masters keep many thousands of these big sheep 

 tried the Wensleydale cross with considerable success. As lambs, 

 he was much dissatisfied with them, but as wethers, they made 

 a considerable sensation in the Rye Market two years ago, where 

 they sold at very high prices, the butchers showing great keenness 

 in buying after the first batch had been killed, and their pro- 

 perties were recognised. 



Hampshire crosses are common through many parts of the 

 country, and they have effected a great work on the Lincoln's 

 during the past quarter of a century, since coarse meat has been 

 difficult to sell, except at times of mutton scarcity. For the last 

 year or so all mutton has sold well. The Hampshire, crossed 

 with the coarser-fleshed long-wools, makes the mutton far more 

 palatable, and although the fleece is lessened, the total value of the 

 sheep is increased. 



From the carcase aspect, the Suffolk and the Cheviot cross, 

 and crosses of either of these with other breeds, are most successful, 

 although, as a pure-bred, the Suffolk is individually the most 

 successful race. The Suffolk, in which there is a considerable 

 dash of Southdown, is the sheep of highest quality to-day. The 

 successful Suffolk is the sheep of the eastern side of the county, 

 near the sea, where the truest Suffolk Down is found. In west 

 Suffolk, what may be described as a too-quickly-get-there system 

 of breed improvement was in vogue some years ago, and the Hamp- 

 shire cross was brought in for this purpose, and although rapid 

 improvement and a valuable sheep resulted, it missed the dis- 

 tinctive character of the Suffolk as prized to-day. The modern 

 leading flocks produce good carcases of excellent lean meat, and 

 it is this kind of sheep that crosses so effectively with other breeds 

 to improve the meat. The carcase competitions at Smithfield 

 have done much good in calling attention to the quality of meat ; 

 and especially of the relative proportion of lean to fat, and the 

 Suffolk, and the Suffolk-cum-Cheviot are setting a good example. 



The Cheviot was used on the Exmoor many years ago to improve 

 it when it was comparatively an insignificant breed. Now the 

 Exmoor is, in many places, ousting the native breed on the Wilt- 

 shire Downs ; whilst the Cheviot itself, as well as the Scotch Black- 

 face, are also actively pushing the native sheep aside on the soils 

 other than chalk. The Cheviot comes in again in the Midlands, 

 where the Scotch-bred Leicester-Cheviot is pushing its way. As 

 one parent in the great Border Leicester breed, the Cheviot shows 

 its personality, whilst in Wales it has had great influence on the 

 most improved of the Welsh breed, having impressed its character 

 on what was previously a very light fore -quartered breed, and 

 having much forwarded its maturing. The Cheviot has been more 



