THE LEICESTER 



623 



At the Smithfield Show (according to Henry, in " Feeds and 

 Feeding"), during seventeen years, ending in 1912, 59 prize- 

 winning Leicester wethers at an average age of six hundred and 

 seven days showed an average weight of 273 pounds and a daily 

 gain of .45 pound, while 54 wether lambs at two hundred and 

 forty-seven days showed an average weight of 1 5 7 pounds and a 

 gain of .64 pound. In the Iowa Station tests the Leicester did 

 not make as good gains as Cotswold or Lincoln, either in daily 

 gain or cost of production. The 

 quality of the mutton has been 

 subject to criticism, and Coffey 

 designates it as tending " to be 

 coarse, lacking in flavor, and 

 too fat." Lambs in good condi- 

 tion, however, up to six or eight 

 months produce very good cuts 

 of meat. 



Crossbred or grade Leicesters 

 are regarded with favor by some 

 superior sheep feeders. A com- 

 pact, easy-feeding Leicester ram 

 used on ewes of Merino char- 

 acter will sire sheep of more 

 scale and easier-fattening qual- 

 ity than where Merino rams are 



used. In France a type of Leicesters termed " Dishley Merinos " 

 has been developed by using Leicester rams on a Merino-ewe founda- 

 tion, these sheep now showing little of Merino character. In New 

 Zealand the Leicester ram on Merino ewes played an important 

 part in developing the Corriedale. Robert Taylor of Nebraska has 

 used Leicester rams on middle-wool ewes on the Western range 

 with signal success. In both 1903 and 1904 Mr. Taylor won the 

 grand championship at the International Live-Stock Exposition 

 on carload show of lambs, these being a cross of Leicester rams 

 on grade Hampshire ewes. In fact, it is conceded that crossbred 

 Leicester mutton is produced more economically, matures earlier, 

 and is of better quality than the pure-bred, although the size is 

 somewhat lessened. In this connection it is interesting to note 



FIG. 294. A very choice Border Leicester 

 ram, bred by J. R. C. Smith of Leaston, 

 Scotland. It was sold in 1901 for ,122 

 ($600). From photograph, by courtesy 

 of Mr. Smith 



