MODERN SHEEP: BREEDS AND MANAGEMENT. 121 



the last 150 years. I have in my possession proof of this and 

 many of the old breeders say they have been used to improve 

 several breeds of sheep that are better known. 



"The Breeders' society has, however, only recently been formed 

 for the purpose of bringing these very useful animals to the no- 

 tice of others. 



"You ask : 'What are the characteristics of the breed ?' They 

 are : First, hardiness ; second, excellent mutton and fat lamb pro- 

 ducers (for good lean mutton of medium weight and quick grow- 

 ing lambs they are, I believe, unbeatable under natural conditions, 

 and as they require no pampering they are therefore the very 

 best farmers' sheep) ; third, the quality of the wool is really first 

 class ; the prices paid for it in this locality are absolute proof of 

 this. 



"These sheep (which are polled with black or mottled faces) 

 are bred in the highest part of England, on the bleak hills of 

 Derbyshire. They lamb out in the open and require very little at- 

 tention at the time and either the rams or the ewes are very good 

 for crossing with other breeds for the purpose of getting early 

 fat lambs; or when used pure they are one of the harcfiest and 

 best breeds of farmers' sheep to be found in Great Britain. 



"The management of them is the same as for any other kind 

 of hill or mountain sheep, and when brought down from the hill 

 and put on better land they grow rapidly. They are very free 

 from disease of all kinds and are suitable for all climates and 

 soils. 



"I may say that the pedigree of every lamb registered in future 

 will contain both the dam and the sire, as the breeders are going 

 in for individual pedigrees, which will be a very great advantage 

 to purchasers." 



WELSH MOUNTAIN SHEEP. 



My esteemed friend, Mr. David Evans, an English shepherd 

 of considerable experience in this country and New Zealand, 

 who returned home recently after an absence of some fifteen 

 years and made a special trip to the home of the Welsh Mountain 

 sheep in the interest of the author of this work, writes of this 

 interesting breed as follows : "I was never more greatly astounded 

 than to see the great strides that have been made in sheep farm- 

 ing in Wales and the evolution of the Welsh Mountain sheep itself. 

 There are large show flocks of these sheep now, fitted, trimmed, 

 etc., as carefully as any Shropshire flocks ever raised and the first 

 copy of the W 7 elsh Mountain sheep flock book was published re- 

 cently and a very handsome little volume it is, a copy of which 

 has been sent you by the secretary. 



"Mr. W. E. Williams of Gwerclas, North Wales, is the pio- 



