THE COTSWOLD CROSSES. 137 



published by Eugene Gayot, the well known writer upon live 

 stock, in the Journal tf Agriculture Pratique, of the 27th of May 

 following, with a portrait of one of these sheep which is reproduce:' 

 here. The course followed by Mons. Pluchet during the 36 years 

 of his persevering effort is very suggestive and instructive. He 

 commenced in 1839 by coupling his Rambouillet Merino ewes, 

 weighing about 68 pounds when dressed for the butcher at 3 years 

 old, with a pure Leicester ram of moderate size. The effort to 

 produce what he wanted, by one cross only, failed. At first the 

 lambs were too small, and the fleece was too light. Greater suc- 

 cess was made by crossing the half-blood ewes with rams of 

 quarter Leicester blood. The produce, containing three-eighths 

 Jjeicester, and and five-eighths Merino blood, were much improved, 

 giving a much longer and better fleece than the half or quarter, 

 bloods. After continuing a course of breeding the produce of 

 this cross together, up to 1856, a new type of animal, entirely dif- 

 ferent from its ancestors, resulted. The carcass was much larger 

 than in the Merino, the wool was not so long as that of the Lei- 

 cester, but finer and softer ; the face was free from wool, and the 

 head was square, with large, prominent eyes. The bone was 

 remarkably fine ; the flesh solid, and the ewes were prolific and 

 remarkably good nurses; but neither the carcass nor the fleece 

 were sufficiently heavy to be profitable. The ewes of this cross 

 were coupled with a pure Leicester ram, and the produce being 

 eleven-sixteenths Leicester, were again crossed with rams of three- 

 eighths Leicester, or of the previous cross. The sheep thus pro- 

 cured were 8f sixteenths Leicester and Tfsixteenths Merino, or 

 nearly half bloods. The close in-and-in-breeding of this cross 

 gave a race of sheep that, when fed on the same pastures as the 

 original Merinos, produced exactly the same dead weight of meat 

 of superior quality at 24 months, that the Merinos gave at 36 

 months, and a fleece weighing 9J Ibs. in the yolk, which sold at a 

 higher price per pound than the Merino fleece. Under the cir- 

 cumstances in which Mons. Pluchet was placed, the result was 

 very profitable, and the new race he originated occupies a place 

 which neither of the original parents was able to fill. Under a 

 system of close breeding, without fresh admixture, the quality and 

 character of this flock are maintained, and the ewes continue to 

 be both prolific of lambs and milk, and are excellent nurses. 



COTSWOLD-LEICESTEK. A very handsome cross-bred is pro- 

 duced by the union of the Cotswold ram with the Leicester ewe. 

 The fleece of this cross is of a silky fiber, beautifully waved and 

 Burled. The wool partakes of the fineness and luster of the Lei* 



