SHEEP. 



SHEEP. 



rify and a propensity to fatten, equalled by no 

 other breed; a diminution in the proportion of 

 offal, and the return of most money for the 

 quantity of food consumed. (Citlley on Live- 

 &ortc ; Marshall's Midland Counties,- Youalt on 

 Sheep, p. 111.) 



For Bakewell's views, when engaged in im- 

 proving sheep, see DISHLRT BUKBD. 



The Teestvater Sheep was bred originally on 

 the banks of the Tees ; it came from the slock 

 of the old Lincolnshire, and, like them, it is 

 nearly extinct. It was a tall, clumsy animal, 

 polled, and with white face and legs ; they 

 were crossed by the Dishley sheep, because a 

 smaller and a better breed, and few traces are 

 now to be found. 



The Lincolnthire Sheep. Culley described the 

 old breed of Lincolnshire sheep, half a century 

 since, as having "no horns," white faces, long, 

 thin, and weak carcasses; the ewes weighing 

 from 14 to 20 Ibs. per quarter, the three year 

 old wethers from 20 to 30 Ibs; thick, rough, 

 white legs, large bones, thick pelts, and long 

 wool, from 10 to 18 inches, and weighing from 

 8 to 14 Ibs. per fleece, and covering a slow- 

 feeding, coarse-grained carcase of mutton. Cul- 

 Jey, however, ran into the opposite extreme; 

 if the Lincolnshire farmers bred only for the 

 wool, he regarded. only the mutton. A cross 

 between the two produced a very profitable 

 and much improved animal. 



The Cotswold Sheep have been long celebrated 

 for the fineness of their wool. In 1467, a flock 

 of these sheep were carried into Spain by 

 license from Edward IV. Gervas Markham, 

 in the time of Queen Elizabeth, describes them 

 " as long-woolled and large-boned breed." Few 

 of the original Ootswold breed, however, now 

 remain ; they have been gradually improved 

 by crossing with the Leicester sheep, and it is 

 this half-bred Cotswold and Leicester which 

 now chiefly tenants the Gloucestershire and 

 Worcestershire farms. The old Cotswold 

 sheep are described by Mr. Youatt, as being 

 taller and longer than the improved breed, 

 comparatively flat-sided, deficient in the fore- 

 quarter, but full in the hind-quarter, not fatten- 

 ing so early, but yielding a longer and heavier 

 fleece. ( Yvuutl on Sheep, p. 340.) The mutton 

 of this breed is well described by Mr. Ellrnan, 

 as fine-grained and full-sized, but capable of 

 great improvement by proper crossing. " The 

 Cotswold," he adds, "differ from the South 

 Down in several particulars ; the skin of the 

 Cotswold is much thicker than the South Down; 

 the head long and thin ; ears wide and not too 

 thin, having no wool but a tuft on the poll; 

 wool below the hock considered objectionable. 

 On the Cotswold they never allow two rams to 

 run together." He thinks twin ewes have 

 much more to do with getting twins than twin 

 rams ; both, however, should be attended to, as 

 well as a still more important particular, their 

 keep. (Baxter's Lib. of Jlgr.) 



The Dartmoor Sheep. "The short or rather 

 middle-woolled sheep of Devonshire," says Mr. 

 Youatt, "a few of which are still seen in South 

 Devon, and on the greater part of the hills in 

 the northern district, but most numerously on 

 the forests of Dartmoor and Exmoor, are every- 

 where of nearly the same character, and betray 



on a smaller scale a great affinity with the 

 Dorsets; have white faces and legs; some 

 with and some without horns ; small in the 

 head and neck, and generally small-boned; 

 carcase narrow and flat-sided, weighing when 

 fat from 9 to 12 Ibs. per quarter; the fleece 3 

 or 4 Ibs. in weight in the yolk; wool short, 

 with a coarse and hairy top." 



The South Doicn Sheep. The remarks of Mr. 

 Ellman of Glynde, in Sussex, who has done 

 more than any one to improve the race of 

 South Down, are so practical and clear, that 

 what he has done so well it is useless to give 

 in any other language; he says, when speak- 

 ing of this valuable breed, "the head should be 

 neither too long nor too short, the lip thin, the 

 neck neither too long nor too short, but thin next 

 the head, and tapering towards the shoulders. 

 South Down breeders object to a long, thin 

 neck; it denotes delicacy. The breast should 

 be wide and deep, projecting forward before 

 the fore-legs ; this indicates a good constitu- 

 tion, and disposition to feed. The shoulders 

 should not be too wide between the plate-bones, 

 but on a level with the chine ; if the shoulder- 

 blades are wide on the top, the animal generally 

 drops behind the shoulders. The chine should 

 be low and straight from the shoulders to the 

 tail ; the ribs should project horizontally from 

 the chine, for the animal will then lay its meat 

 on the prime parts ; the sides high and paral- 

 lel ; the rump long and broad; the tail set on 

 high, and nearly on a level with the chine ; the 

 hips wide ; the ribs circular, and barrel-shaped ; 

 the legs neither very long nor very short; the 

 bones moderately fine." (Baxter'* Lib. of Agr 

 p. 570.) 



Romney Marsh Sheep. Towards the begin- 

 ning of this century, Mr. Price described "the 

 pure Romney Marsh bred sheep as distin- 

 guished by thickness and length of head, a 

 broad forehead with a tuft of wool upon it, a 

 long and thick neck, and carcase flat-sided; 

 chine sharp, tolerably wide on the loins, breast 

 narrow and not deep, and the fore-quarter not 

 heavy nor full ; the thigh full and broad, the 

 belly large; the tail thick, Jong, and coarse, the 

 legs thick, feet large, the muscle coarse, bone 

 large. Wool long and not fine ; have much 

 internal fat, much hardihood; requiring no 

 artificial food during the hardest winter, ex- 

 cept a little hay." ( Ycuatt on Sheep, p. 334.) 

 With all these good properties, however, the 

 old Romney Marsh sheep has been nearly obli- 

 terated by occasional crossings with the Lei- 

 cester sheep ; which, by judicious management 

 (taking care not to render the breed too tender 

 by the introduction of too much of the Leices- 

 ter), has produced a sheep possessing sufficient 

 hardiness for these bleak marshes, yet produc- 

 ing more symmetry of form, with earlier ma- 

 turity, and greater propensity to fatten. 



The Cheviot Sheep are a peculiar breed, which 

 are kept on the extensive range of the Cheviot 

 Hills. They are described as having " the 

 face and legs generally white; the eye lively 

 and prominent ; the countenance open and 

 pleasing; the ear large, and with a long space 

 from the ear to the eye ; the body long ; and 

 hence they are called 'long sheep,' in distinc- 

 tion from the black-faced breed. They are full 



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