BRITISH WOOLS. 193 



cular environment is the great thing to attempt, and in doing this 

 wool characteristics should be most carefully considered. 



Variations from the two foregoing Types. Three classes of varia 

 tions from the foregoing types may be noted, viz., Half-breds, 

 Cross -breds, and Special breeds. Half-breds are produced by the 

 crossing of two distinct breeds. The value of such crossing will 

 be evident when it is realised that in Yorkshire, for example, there 

 are large tracts of land which will not support a large-bodied sheep, 

 such as the Wensleydale or Leicester, but upon which the smaller 

 and more active Blackface will thrive. Blackface ewes are, there- 

 fore, run upon these tracts of land, but for the richer land in the 

 bottom of the valley or for sending down to the plains for fattening 

 up for the market a cross-bred sheep is bred, the Blackface ewes 

 being mated with a Wensleydale ram, and thus a more valuable 

 lamb and sheep produced than if Blackface were mated with Black- 

 face. Further north, a similar crossing is practised with the 

 Cheviot and the Border Leicester. This latter breed no doubt 

 gives valuable mutton and wool characteristics to the half-bred 

 sheep produced ; in fact, this cross is that from which the famous 

 " North Wool " is produced which finds such a ready sale in the 

 Bradford market. 



Crossing undoubtedly upsets the stability of a breed, and con- 

 sequently there is, perhaps, a reasonable tendency to be very 

 conservative in crossing. If, however, there were some means of 

 advising the farmers on the results of their crosses, it is quite possible 

 that even more useful crosses than those at present prevailing would 

 be discovered. It is possible that the conjoint action of the Agri- 

 cultural and Textile Industries Departments of Leeds University 

 in this matter might lead to most useful results. Unless the farmers 

 can readily obtain reliable advice as to the mutton and wool values 

 of suggested crosses, it is obvious that few new crosses will be 

 attempted the farmer will prefer to work safely upon the old lines. 



The greatest detriment to crossing lies in the very varied wools 

 produced. Sometimes the progeny of a cross revert to one or 

 other parent, but more frequently a varied, and possibly, irregular 

 fleece is produced. Thus, save in one or two special cases, the 

 farmer cannot hope to make a name for himself as a wool producer 

 if he indulges in cross-breeding. If, however, he cross-breeds with 

 the idea of working back again to his pure breed, with a certain 

 robustness added, there may be an advantage in crossing, even from 

 the wool point of view. The method pursued in effecting such 

 crossing in Australia is well illustrated in the following diagram, 

 illustrating the production of " come-back " wool. 



The crossbred wools of New Zealand are obviously the result 

 of the search for a superior mutton sheep, and the same remark 

 applies to crossbred wools, such as there are in this country. Thus 



