160 AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURE. 



Leicesters. Of all the long-woolled, or as the 

 Americans term them, the mutton-producing varieties the 

 Leicester ranks first. As the Booth tribe of shorthorn 

 cattle have always been famous for the great improvement 

 their blood makes in a herd, so there are few varieties of 

 long-wools of the present day that have not been indebted 

 to the blood of the Dishley Leicesters for improvement in 

 shape and aptitude to fatten ; in fact, as has been quaintly 

 remarked, they have almost completely eaten up every other 

 long-woolled breed. To such extreme perfection has the 

 frame of this animal being carried, that one is lost in 

 admiration at the skill and good fortune of those who 

 worked out such an alteration. It would seem as if they 

 had chalked out upon a wall a form perfect in itself, and 

 then had given it existence. For a number of years 

 Leicesters have at various times been imported into 

 Australia and have been successfully bred in New South 

 Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and New Zealand ; but it was 

 not until 1868 that the breed was finally established, and 

 their value in crossing with the merino thoroughly 

 demonstrated. 



Lincolns. Next to the Leicester, the Lincoln is the 

 most valuable of the long- wools. Although at one time a 

 distinct variety, the Lincolns have of late years been so 

 modified and intermixed with the Leicesters that they may 

 now be dominated a sub-variety of the latter. The 

 Lincoln of the present day is a larger sheep than the 

 improved Leicester, with a heavier fleece of very lustrous 

 wool ; so much so that in some instances samples of 

 Lincoln wool have been mistaken for those of fine Angora 

 mohair. The Lincoln, however, has not the fine bone and 

 head, nor the same extreme white and beautiful silkiness 

 of hair on the face and legs as the Leicester. For purposes 

 of crossing, however, it is considered superior to the 

 Leicester, inasmuch as whilst giving an equally large 

 carcase, the fleece of the Lincoln-cwm-merinos are heavier 

 and much more lustrous, They are, therefore, held in 

 great esteem by the breeders on rich volcanic and 

 limestone country. 



The Cotswolds rank next to the Lincolns; but 



