SHEOPSHIEE SHEEP.] 



SHEEP, 



["WELSH SHEEP. 



The wool, indeed, was pronounced as fine as 

 the pure Merino. But an error was committed 

 by interbreeding with the crosses themselves ; 

 hence, in three or four generations, they fell 

 off so much, that the Anglo-wool became so 

 inferior as to be nearly unsaleable. Having 

 once crossed, they ought to have carried back 

 the cross to the one pure breed or the otlier ; 

 or, what would have been, perhaps, better, 

 they should have kept a stock with which to 

 cross, and thus have preserved a fresh and con- 

 tinuous breed of newly-crossed animals. At- 

 tempts to improve the size of the sbeep have 

 been made by crosses with the Leieesters, Cots- 

 wolds, and Southdowns ; the results of which 

 were the destruction of all the peculiarly de- 

 sirable properties of the Eyeland, as well as 

 the obliteration of several of the others. The 

 breed has therefore been abandoned for more 

 profitable mutton-producing kinds of sheep. 



THE SHROPSHIRE SHEEP. 



In the centre and north-western districts of 

 Shropshire sheep predominate ; the north be- 

 ing principally devoted to the dairying of cows, 

 and the breeding of cattle generally. Formerly, 

 there were several varieties of sheep in tbis 

 county, but modern times have brought them 

 to a greater equality of character. The old 

 Shropshire sheep had black or mottled faces 

 and legs, and were horned. They were about 

 the size of the Southdowns, but the neck had 

 greater length, and the carcass was not so com- 

 pact. They inhabited a rye-producing dis- 

 trict, probably the Morfe-down, consisting of 

 about 4,000 acres of common land, near the 

 Severn, which yielded a short and stunted, but 

 fine grass. The fleece is about the same weight 

 as that of the Eyeland' — 2 lbs.; but the staple 

 is particularly fine. They are seldom kept till 

 more than five years old ; and the ewes will not 

 weigh more, when fat, than 9 or 10 lbs. per 

 quarter. The wethers will weigh 13 or 14 lbs. 

 Modern tastes and habits, however, will not 

 allow of sheep being kept for 2 lbs. of wool, 

 and 40 lbs. of mutton ; and hence the altered 

 demands and wants of the population are fast 

 banishing all these original breeds. The Cots- 

 wolds and Leieesters having been introduced 

 into Shropshire, both pure, and in various 

 crosses with each other, they have changed the 

 character of every short-wooUed sheep. The 

 720 



Shropshire short wool, however, was, at a 

 former period of our history, held in verv o-reat 

 estimation. The author of a work on the com- 

 mercial policy of the times, in 1694, speaks 

 thus of it: — "It is no small advantage to 

 trade, to be fitted with a complete assortment of 

 goods, abounding in the middle sorts of wool, 

 excellent of its kind, and suitable to a middle 

 sort of people, which are far the greater num. 

 ber; and herein chiefly is our strength: not 

 that we, in the least, full short in the merits of 

 our fine wool ; our Herefordshire and our 

 Shropshire wool is not to be equalled, in its 

 kind, by any part of the world, and suitable 

 to almost any degree." 



THE WELSH SHEEP. 

 This is held as the most excellent of all the 

 mutton-producing race, owing to its flesh being 

 so highly- favoured, and so fine in the grain. 

 They are the very converse of the Lincoln- 

 shires, and are a truly Lilliputian breed. They 

 are the most remunerative of any kind of 

 mutton sold in the London market, and are 

 thus described by Mr. Milburn : — " The two 

 haunches are usually cooked together, undi- 

 vided, and present a most uncommon appear- 

 ance. The wethers are killed at four or five 

 years of age, and will then weigh, when fat, 

 only 8 or 9 lbs. per quarter. The ewes usually 

 weigh 2, or even 3 lbs. per quarter less. The 

 sheep, when alive, is a goat-like animal, some- 

 what resembling the gazelle of the Nimrod 

 sculptures. The ram has two crumpled horns, 

 rising upwards, and falling backwards again to 

 the neck. The ewes are usually hornless. 

 The neck is long ; the shoulders high and thin ; 

 the breast small, narrow, and backward ; the 

 legs and loins full and broad. The ribs are 

 flatfish, and the belly a little depressed ; the 

 tail long, and bushy towards the extremity, 

 nearly down to the middle of the hind legs. 

 The bones are remarkably small. They are 

 the most active and sure-footed race of sheep 

 we know. They are essentially wild in their 

 habits, and clip about 2 lbs. of somewhat fine 

 wool. The ewes are sometimes milked by the 

 Welsh farmers ; but this pulls them down, and 

 is very injurious to them. Some persons clip 

 them twice ; that is to say, they shear them at 

 the usual time in June, and again take off part 

 of the wool from tbe fore quarters in the month 



