9 6 



MODERN SHEEP: BREEDS AND MANAGEMENT. 



jurats and commonality, in return for certain people giving up 

 rights of common on land called the Rype, founded a town flock. 

 The sheep were given as a 'benevolence/ and I find it stated: 

 'John Heblethwait, bayliff, notwithstanding his great loss in sheep 

 last year, gives 6 ewes; Thomas Bate, jurat, gives 40 ewes, the 

 total being 392 ewes.' A town shepherd was annually appointed 

 at the feast of St. Mary Magdalene. He had to give sureties and 

 to annually render his account. It would be interesting to trace 

 out from the records what success this Lydd flock had. Mr. Wil- 



Roniney Marsh Ram. 



Ham Price, a surgeon of Appledore, who devoted much time to 

 the subject, and wrote a most interesting book in 1809 upon 

 Marsh sheep grazing, saw the necessity of raising a breed of use- 

 ful, medium-sized animals. There were big, coarse sheep in the 

 Marsh in his day, and the wethers were kept until three years 

 old. He advocated more kindly qualities and endeavors to obtain 

 early maturity. 



"About the middle of the 18th century, Mr. Bakewell, a 

 most celebrated breeder, introduced what were called 'Improved 

 Leicesters/ and later, or then, Leicester rams were largely im- 



