MODERN SHEEP : BREEDS AND MANAGEMENT. 97 



ported into the Marsh. Indeed, there is no doubt that at about 

 this period a great change was effected in the Marsh sheep. Mr. 

 Price wrote some very quaint things. He said it was then thought 

 that no particular qualifications were necessary to become a grazer. 

 After giving his definition of a good manager, he mentions bad 

 ones as too numerous, and their appointments erroneous in prin- 

 ciple. It was commonly said in Romney Marsh that anything 

 was good enough to make a grazer. If a man had brains sufficient 

 to keep himself out of the Marsh ditches, he had quite sufficient 

 ability for that pursuit. I hope that we have raised the standard 

 since then. 



"I now quote from an article I wrote for the Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society's Journal a few years back upon this subject: 

 'Bred on the exposed Marsh and generally grazed upon short and 

 poor feed in its first year, the Romney Marsh sheep may be said 

 to present a result to be expected from the survival of the fittest. 

 Of a hardy and strong constitution, it will live and thrive even 

 upon the poorest land without any artificial feeding or assistance. 

 Nevertheless, upon the best pasture, or when aided by artificial 

 feeding, there is no breed which more 'readily responds, owing to 

 its natural kindliness and quick fattening disposition. The land 

 in this district, regarded geologically, is a recent reclamation from 

 the sea, and varies very considerably. On the one hand, there are 

 parts with a rich alluvial deposit, and these have become pastures 

 of the highest quality, while on the other hand, closely adjoining, 

 or intermixed, are many acres of the poorest land hard, stiff 

 and unkindly clay, or sand and shingle, sparsely covered with vege- 

 tation, and only barely sustaining stock in the most favorable 

 seasons. Under these ' circumstances it may well be understood 

 that sheep bred of the soil must be of a most hardy and thrifty 

 nature. Such qualities may be pre-eminently claimed for the Rom- 

 ney Marsh breed.' With his record we have the sheep which have 

 made their home in Kent and in a great part of our adjoining 

 county of Sussex." 



The same lecturer, on another occasion, remarked that he had 

 come into possession of a document which referred to the fact 

 that Edward III presented the king of Spain with some Romney 

 Marsh sheep and from these it is said the famous Merinos took 

 their rise. 



The writer is indebted for the photograph of the ram from 

 which the halftone illustrating this article is made to Mr. N. 

 Millen, Syndale Valley, Faversham, England, and the following 

 interesting contribution on the breed: "This breed has been in 

 existence for several hundred years, although until recent years it 

 has not been very well known "abroad, but since the foundation of 

 the Kent or Romney Marsh Flock Book in 1895 there has been 

 a larger demand for export, which increases considerably year 



