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hires. So quickly did the merits of his sheep grow in public favour 

 that "in 1789 he made 1,200 guineas by three rams, 2,000 guineas 

 by seven others," and 3,000 guineas for the remainder. His high- 

 est rate was 800 guineas from two breeders for two-thirds of the 

 season's services of his favourite, "Two -pounder." 



The Dishley Society was formed in 1790 for the preservation 

 of the purity of the Leicester, and, by means of rules of extraordinary 

 stringency, an attempt was made to create a sort of monopoly in 

 the interests of Bakewell and a few friends. The only unselfish 

 condition of interest was that " no member shall give his "rams at 

 any season of the year any other food than green vegetables, hay 

 and straw," a rule which ram-breeders would do well to follow 

 now. Such fame did the Dishley Leicesters gain that "within 

 little more than half a century they spread over every part of the 

 United Kingdom," and by 1837 there were "few flocks of Long- 

 wool sheep in England, Scotland, or Ireland which were not in 

 some degree descended from Bakewell's flock. No other sort of 

 sheep possessed so great a propensity to fatten or become fit for 

 the butcher at so early an age, but they could not travel far for 

 their food, nor could they bear, so well as many others, occasional 

 scantiness or deprivation of nourishment." This holds good to-day 

 with improved breeds. 



The pure-bred flocks are now mostly confined to East and 

 North Yorkshire, Cheshire, Cumberland, Durham, and Leicester- 

 shire. In other parts the breed had to yield to the competition 

 of other Longwools which had been improved by its influence, and 

 to the Down breeds, especially the Shropshire. 



THE BORDER LEICESTER. The Border Leicester was bred at 

 first from the Dishley Leicester by crossing with the Cheviot, but 

 it has long ranked as a pure breed, and one of the best and most 

 popular of Leicester long-wools. 



THE WENSLEYDALE LONGWOOL SHEEP. The Wensleydale Long- 

 wool is a large, high-standing, long-sided, firm-fleshed Yorkshire- 

 Leicester breed, with a characteristic deep blue colour in the skin 

 of the face, legs, and ears, which sometimes extends over the 

 whole body, though the shade is darker on the bare or hairy parts. 

 The dark colour is favoured because of the extensive use of the 

 rams in crossing with Scotch Blackface ewes, as they throw dark 

 grey-faced lambs. The progeny are termed "crosses" in Scotland, 

 where they are kept in large numbers, ewe and wether together, 

 for hogging; and under the name of "Mashams," from the market 



