126 THE DISEASES AND DISORDEES OF THE OX. 



those animals should be selected which possess both the best 

 wool and the best mutton. The best wool is mellow, moderately 

 long, thick, and bunchy, and under this kind the flesh is mellow 

 and firm, and spreads more rapidly than any other. Extra firm 

 or hard fleish is found under short and fine wool, but it does 

 not expand in proportion. Sheep provided with thin-set and 

 strong wool have white and objectionable heads, loose or 

 coarse flesh which is also wanting in point of quality in 

 proportion to the wool it bears. Consequently such animals 

 do not spread out widely. It is preferable to select a strong 

 ram from a well-bred flock belonging to the same family rather 

 than to step out of *' the line " to cross with a large sheep of an 

 inferior breed. Experience of breeding proves that the produce 

 of a large inferior sheep selected from a pure-bred flock is far 

 better than that which results from a good-looking sheep chosen 

 out of a cross-bred flock. The ewes should possess the larger 

 frame, and, of course, the strength of breeding animals should 

 always be very well kept up. 



It is said that the ** Leicesters/' if mixed with the larger 

 breeds, tend to correct their faults ; but that the larger males, .if 

 put with the best Leicester ewes, do not give rise to improved 

 'Off'spring. Mountain breeds may be made larger by crossing ; 

 but the progeny will not prosper on the hill pastures of their 

 dams, nor, indeed, on the pastures on which their sires thrive. 

 In fact, they require intermediate situations ; and we may add 

 that it is well to bear in mind the general rule that it is always 

 best to find the pasture which is suitable for the animal rather 

 than to try to adapt an animal to a pasture which is not suited 

 to its requirements. Lest it should appear that we are now in- 

 sisting on a small point, we may say that so great is the eff'ect 

 of soil and climate, that when a group of animals has been 

 equally divided and kept apart for twelvemonths upon two kinds 

 of soil possessing opposite characters, the two sub-groups have, 

 at the expiration of the year, scarcely resembled each other, when 

 placed side by side, except in the shape and look of the head. 



Some breeders hold that a good sheep should resemble the 

 shape of a soda-water bottle ; but others prefer that the upper 

 and under lines should be parallel, and the sides together form an 

 oval. If the sheep has the soda-water-bottle form, the animal 

 has a thin neck, narrow hind-quarters, wide sides, or hanging 



