LEicESTEE SHEKP.] AND TIIEIll VAKIOUS BREEDS. [cotswold sueep. 



become successful rivals of tlio pure Dishloy 

 breed. Tho LtMoestcr, Iiowovlt, still commands 

 a liirge extent of tlio mo.st fi-rtilo districts of 

 England, and has long been introduced to 

 Scotland, where it has boon cultivated with tho 

 utmost caro and success. In both countries 

 it is chieily restricted to tlio lowlands, or to 

 land of pretty good quality. lu the Journal 

 of the Koyal Agricultural Society of England, 

 we find an account of tlio modes of nianago- 

 luent pursued in Ivoxburghshire, on the borders 

 of tho Tweed and the Teviot, whicli niiglit bo 

 taken as the system generally adopted in tho 

 superior districts of both countries. " Before 

 the oommeucement of the present century, tho 

 Cheviot were almost tlie only sheep found in 

 Teviotdale and Tweeddale; whilst, witliin the 

 space of thirty years afterwards, the Leicester 

 breed, with few exceptions, had the entire pos- 

 session of these districts ; and they not only 

 greatly exceeded their predecessors in num- 

 bers, but still more so in weight. On nearly 

 all the farms of any considerable extent in 

 breeding, a stock of these sheep is kept ; and 

 from the ewes, thi-ee successions of lambs are 

 taken ; the dams being sold off at the close of 

 their third breeding season, or when four-and- 

 a-half years old. In general, the whole pro- 

 duce of these ewes is retained upon the farm 

 on which they are bred ; a proportion of the 

 ewe lambs, when gimmers, coming in to take 

 the place of the old ewes sold in each year. 

 The wcdder-lambs, again, are disposed of as 

 fat ; many of them, immediately afterwards, 

 being deprived of the first fleece ; and the re- 

 mainder, after being fed on turnips, in the 

 winter or spring of the second year. Not un- 

 frequently, however, upon farms where a large 

 proportion of turnips cannot be raised, the 

 whole wedder-lambs, and, sometimes, part of 

 the ewe-lambs, are disposed of at weaniug- 

 time ; and those ewe-lambs kept beyond the 

 number required to maintain the complement 

 of the year, are sold when gimmers, usually 

 at about eighteen months old. These young 

 sheep, being thus so early matured for the 

 butcher, are maintained from their earliest 

 time on full feed ; it being a great object to 

 prevent them losing any of the condition they 

 generally possess when taken from the ewes. 

 AVith this view, also, they are early put upon 

 turnips, as it is very desirable tliey should be 



woU acquainted with this their ossential moans 

 of 8U[)port, previous to any failure in tho nu- 

 trilious properties in tho gra.ss, or tho occur- 

 rcnco of severe weather. To tho young stock, 

 intended to bo kept for breeding, fewer turnips 

 aro commonly allowed, although they aro sel- 

 dom, during any j)art of tho winter, entirely 

 without this useful assistance. Tho ewea 

 having, at this season, the range of the whole 

 pasture, are only allowed auxiliary food during 

 tho severity of a storm, and in hard winter 

 weather, until towards the aj)proach of the 

 period of lambing, when a proportion of turnips 

 becomes indispensable to maintain thorn in 

 sufficient condition to bring them well through 

 this critical and interesting season. In gene- 

 ral, more sheep aro fattened than aro bred in 

 the district." This system, with some modi- 

 fications, caused by tho qualities of the land, 

 prevails, with little difference, throughout the 

 midland districts of England. 



The Leicester, as a turnip-feeder, is, perhaps, 

 the most successful of all breeds of sheep. 

 The fat is in greater quantity, collected on 

 the surface, than any breed whatever ; and it 

 will accumulate as much fat, if not more, 

 for the food consumed, than any other kind of 

 sheep. A better proof of the value of the 

 Leicester could not be adduced, than is 

 found in the fact of their having super- 

 seded a vast proportion of the sheep of this 

 country, under every circumstance of pastu- 

 rage and climate, and established themselves 

 in their stead. They have also been used to 

 improve the desirable points of almost every 

 breed, which still at all keeps its ground. la 

 fine, the Leicester is the only sheep whicli 

 can, with any degree of success, be fattened 

 at one year old. 



THE COTSWOLD SHEEP, 



Cotswold is one word produced by the union 

 of two, and signifies a. sheep-fold and a naked 

 hill. The breed of sheep which goes by this 

 name is both ancient and celebrated. The 

 hills which were its original habitat are of no 

 great elevation ; but they enjoy a fragrant 

 herbage ; and though, at one time, consisting 

 only of bleak marshes, have, in the course of 

 years, undergone great improvement. Kelative 

 to its breed of sheep, Camden speaks of it as 

 furnishing wool both fine and soft ; whilst 



7U9 



