1858.] SENATE— No. 4. 115 



an eminent degree and fixed them as permanent characteristics 

 of the breed. 



The new Leicesters have fine heads, wide nostrils, with eyes 

 full and quick, and ears thin and pricked, the whole expression 

 of the face and head pleasing and mild. The head is hornless, 

 long, small, tapering to the muzzle and projecting horizontally 

 forwards. The neck is broad and full at the base or chest, 

 tapering gradually towards the head and very fine at the 

 junction of the head and neck. A line drawn from the top of 

 the head to the rump is horizontal. The shoulders are broad 

 and round, the breast broad and full, the arm fleshy down 

 to the knee, the legs small, standing wide apart, and bare 

 of wool. The chest and barrel are round and deep, well ribbed 

 up, the quarters long and full, the muscles extending down to 

 the hock, the thighs wide and full, legs of medium length, 

 skin soft and elastic, covered with long, v/hite, fine wool. 



The Leicesters are beautiful and symmetrical in form, mature 

 earlier than any other breed, and produce, perhaps, more mut- 

 ton and wool in proportion to the food they consume than 

 other breeds ; but the amount of tallow is generally very small, 

 and the carcase is not a favorite in the market, the fat not being 

 well mixed in with the lean. The pure new Leicester can 

 hardly be said to be a very profitable breed either for the 

 breeder, the feeder or the butcher, but for improving other 

 breeds the pure new Leicester ram is, perhaps, unrivalled, and 

 most admirable crosses are obtained from him with good ewes 

 of other breeds. It has been said by a very experienced and 

 practical judge, that the " Leicester sheep can improve all other 

 breeds, but none can improve them," and the practice of put- 

 ting the long-woolled Liecester rams to short-woolled ewes has 

 become very common. South Down ewes are more hardy and 

 prolific and are far better nurses than the Leicesters. The size 

 of the offspring of the Leicester ram and the South Down ewe, 

 will not fall much below the larger sire, if well fed, while the 

 mutton, taking the tendency to fatness of the sire, and the high 

 flavor, juiciness and good quality of the dam, will sell at higli 

 prices. 



The Cotswolds form a large breed of sheep with a long and 

 heavy fleece. They are a cross of an old and celebrated breed 

 with the new Leicester, but as they have now been kept distinct 



