LINCOIK SHEEP.] 



SHEER 



fLINCOLir SHEEP. 



^^•he^e this is done, it amply repays tlie cost 

 and trouble in the lives which it saves. The 

 breed, however, is now seldom found in a pure 

 state, as it has been extensively crossed with 

 the New Leicester, which has greatly improved 

 its form. The eifusion of Leicester blood, 

 says Mr. Milburn, " effected a change, possibly 

 for the better, on the old Eomney Marsh 

 sheep. It made a finer animal, reduced the 

 quantity, but not the quality, of the wool; 

 deepened the chest, and increased its width ; 

 rounded the rib, and lessened the bone gene- 

 rally ; drew up the belly, and destroyed the 

 tuft of hair on the top of the head ; so that it 

 made the sheep altogether a better feeding 

 animal, without destroying its suitability to 

 the soil and climate which it had inhabited for 

 years. With its other improvements, the 

 cross had also the effect of reducing the period 

 of bringing the animals to market. They 

 were usually three years old before they were 

 sold to the butcher for killing. They are now 

 prime for the London market at two ; and as 

 this enables the feeder to turn over one-third 

 more capital in sheep-fattening, it is a great 

 advantage, though he has possibly somewhat 

 injured the hardihood of the animal; and it 

 now requires a greater amount of care and 

 skill for the bringing up of the lambs. Nor 

 has the wool been so far injured as to prevent 

 the breed from being classed among those 

 celebrated for this commodity. The Leicester 

 may have shortened a little, and made the 

 fleece set closer on the body; but it has 

 neither destroyed its fine texture, nor pre- 

 vented it from standing high in the estimation 

 of the manufacturer." 



THE LINCOLNSHIRE SHEEP. 



This breed bears a strong resemblance to 

 both the Teeswater and the Eomney Marsh 

 or Kentish sheep, and, in all probability, had 

 a similar origin to them. The Lincolnshire 

 fens extend into Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, and 

 the adjoining counties, and are well suited for 

 ihe rearing of a large race of sheep ; and, ac- 

 cordingly, they form the native habitat of the 

 Old Lincoln— a breed in its pure state, we 

 believe, now almost quite extinct. They were 

 of a large and coarse make, with hollow flanks 

 and flat sides, large legs and feet. Their 

 fleece almost touched the ground, was long and 

 706 



oily, and weighed from 10 lbs. to 12 lbs., and 

 upwards. They fed slowly, but accumulated 

 a great deal of internal fat, and were, on that 

 account, much sought after by the butcher. 

 This was the Old Lincoln, the progenitors of 

 the present existing race, which has been im- 

 proved by extensive crossing with the New 

 Leicester, and which ]\Ir. Milburn describes 

 as having been of great value. He says that 

 they have smaller faces than the Eomney 

 Marsh sheep, and are altogether lighter in 

 flesh. The carcass is large and coarse ; the 

 length, from the head to the tail, measuring, 

 in some cases, four feet six or seven inches. 

 It is to this great length that he attributes the 

 apparent hoUowness which this variety has in 

 its back. The ribs are flattish, and not covered 

 very thickly with flesh ; whilst the belly is deep, 

 and the shoulders so forward as almost to hide 

 the breast. The neck is thick and large, and 

 is encumbered with a deep and flabby dewlap. 

 The hind quarters are full and fat, with a ten- 

 dency to accumulate fat at the rump. The 

 legs are fleshy and deep. The whole animal 

 is of an ungainly form, taking the standard of 

 connoisseur taste as a criterion ; but, wlieu 

 the wool covers the animal, the whole of his 

 imperfections are hid. He is one living square 

 of wool, ranging from fifteen to eighteen inches 

 long; and more of this material is clipped 

 from the Lincolnshire sheep tlian from amj 

 English slieep to7iateve7\ The fleece varies from 

 12 lbs. to 14 lbs. weight, which, when it sells 

 for 15d. or ISd. per pound, is equal to the value 

 of the whole carcass of some of the smaller 

 breeds of sheep. Nor is it far behind in mutton. 

 The wether will weigh from 30 lbs. to 35 lbs. 

 per quarter, sinking the oflal, or a nett weight 

 of mutton, per sheep, of 140 lbs. 



The effect of crossing this animal with the 

 New Leicester has been to reduce the size, 

 diminish the length, and to restore the power ot 

 internal accumulation of fat, and also to deposit 

 it externally on the sides and back of the sheep. 



Messrs. Kennedy and Grainger state, that 

 the sheep bred in the wolds are deeper crossed 

 with the New Leicester than those in the 

 marsh lands, which may account for the fleece 

 of the latter being heavier. "The breed of 

 sheep generally," they observe, " has been 

 greatly increased since the turnip husbandry 

 has been introduced. Those bred in the wolds, 



