Saddle and Sirloin. 



her. On January 2nd, she began at 6 feet 1 1 inches, 

 March 2nd found her expanded to 7 feet 7 inches, and 

 April 4th to 7 feet 9 inches, and there seemed every 

 reason to hope that she would touch Variety, who 

 finally filled the tape at 8 feet 8J inches. This com- 

 fortable-looking daughter of Mistletoe was red and 

 white in large patches, but Mr. Duckham proved her 

 rigid orthodoxy of descent in reply to a newspaper 

 doubter, and her two first prizes at Baker-street and 

 Bingley Hall were suffered to remain unchallenged. 



CHAPTER XV. 



** But a plain leg of mutton, my Lucy, 



I pry'thee get ready at three ; 

 Have it smoking, and tender, and juicy, 



And what better meat can there be ? 

 And when it has feasted the master, 

 'Twill amply suffice for the maid ; 

 Meanwhile, I will smoke my canaster, 

 And tipple my ale in the shade. " 



Thackeray. 



Shropshire Sheep Lord Berwick's Herefords Sir Bellingham Graham 

 Coursing at Sundorne Mr. Corbet Old Bob Luther. 



SAMUEL METRE and George Adney may be 

 said to have been the great founders of the " Im- 

 proved Shrop." To hear many of the breeders talk 

 one might fancy that there had never been any 

 " alloy blood" no quality from the Southdown, no 

 fat back from the Leicester ;* but that the Shrop as 

 it now exists is the original " image which fell from 



* As far as we can ascertain, the first cross tried by the late Mr. 

 Meire in 1810 was that with a Southdown bred by Mr. Tench of Brom- 

 field, and as the fleece became very important, a Leicester was used 

 soon after with the best effect as regards wool and mutton. This was 

 all done before ram-breeding in Salop was studied, and its sheep con- 

 sidered a distinct breed. Mr. Samuel Meire brought rams out after 



