TEESWATEE.] 



SHEEP, 



[teestvatee. 



give, from Mr. McCullocli's Dictionary of 

 Commerce, the following compendious view of 

 the more prominent characteristics of the 

 various bi-eeds:— 



THE TEESWATER. 



Properly speaking, the long-woolled breeds of 

 sheep originally belong to the rich and marshy 

 pastures of England, whence, with the ad- 

 ■vauces gradually made in agriculture, they have 

 extended to all parts of Britain ; and, in many 

 localities, have encroached on the land previ- 

 ously appropriated to the short-woolled breeds. 

 !From this circumstance they have, for many 

 years, been increasing in numbers, while the 

 others have been either decreasing or remain- 

 ing stationary. This is to be accounted for 

 by the fact of the long-woolled varieties being 

 more profitable than the short-woolled, pro- 

 vided they are pastured upon such land as 

 may be found agreeable to their nature. 

 When this is the case, they produce a much 

 greater weight of fleece, which yields as much 

 per pound as that of the others ; while the 

 earlier maturity, and the superior fattening 

 qualities of one particular variety, render them 

 a much more preferable stock to the others. 

 Tet, it has been observed, that whilst many of 

 the mountain or up- land breeds have been 

 preserved in a state of purity from remote 

 ages, most of the ancient long-woolled breeds 

 have either altogether disappeared, or been 

 preserved, by the curious, in individual flocks ; 

 they have either been changed by extensive 

 crossing with the New Leicester breed, or 

 701. 



altogether supplanted by it. A distinction has 

 been made of two classes of long-woolled 

 sheep ; one belonging to the fens and marshes, 

 and the other to the inland plains. The for- 

 mer embraces the Teeswater, the Leicester, 

 and other varieties ; and the latter, the Lin- 

 coln and the Romney Marsh. 



The Teeswater is a very large breed, and 

 may, in some degree, be considered the giant 

 of the fleecy tribes, as it will frequently attain 

 to the heaviness of 50 lbs. per quarter, or 

 240 lbs. weight. The fleece is long, very 

 open, and somewhat coarse. It weighs from 

 9 to 12 lbs. This breed of sheep is very old, 

 and, for a long space of time, has been located 

 on the banks of the river Tees, whence it 

 takes its name. Most writers class it with 

 the Lincoln sheep, from which it is supposed 

 to have derived its origin. This, however, is 

 very uncertain. " The principality of Dur- 

 ham," says Mr. Milburn, " celebrated for its 

 native wild cattle and pigs, had doubtless its 

 own peculiar breed of sheep and cattle ; and 

 the old Teeswater sheep had as much a 

 habitat in those rich pastures as the wild 

 cattle of Brauspeth, or the deer at Auckland 

 Palace. The great peculiarity of the animal 

 was its slow growth, and, at the same time, 

 its large size and bone, its heavy, thin, and 

 coarse wool. The length of the legs, in par- 

 ticular, gave it an imposing and somewhat un- 

 gainly appearance ; while its thick skin made 

 it a slow feeder in any but its native pas- 

 tures — the alluvial washings of many gene- 

 rations." At one period, this gentleman ob- 

 tained two lambs, as a great favour, from a 

 flock of pure Teeswaters. The farmer forbade 

 histaking two of his best animals, and he had to 

 be contented with one. He selected another, 

 so close in the pelt, and so unsymmetrical, 

 that he decided in putting it off. The best 

 was well kept, and astonished both himself 

 and his visitors by its amazing size, and the 

 great weight and quantity of its wool; but, 

 just before shearing, it died the victim of wool 

 and mutton. As it was skinned, and not 

 shorn, there was no mode of weighing the 

 fleece ; but it could not be lighter than 12 lbs. 

 The load of fat, added to the envelop of heavy 

 wool, seemed to have suffocated the animal, 

 for it was exceedingly well kept. 



Pure Teeswaters are now nqyj scarce. As 



