CHAPTER IV. 

 THE LINCOLN. 



The Lincoln is the largest and heaviest sheep of all 

 breeds, and requires, therefore, the best and most succu- 

 lent herbage. Size of animal and fairly moist condi- 

 tions, producing good feed from good land, are linked 

 together with sheep. Like all the British longwools the 

 Lincoln was originally a native of the rich lowlands of 

 England. This again indicates the type of country to 

 which it is adapted, but it does well on good New 

 Zealand hill land. Being a heavy land sheep it will do 

 better on clay soils than other breeds. The Lincoln 

 carries the heaviest, strongest, and longest-stapled fleece 

 of all sheep. Its mutton is coarse grained and fat. Its 

 size indicates this, as also the rich pasture growth so 

 essential to its prosperity. It is a sheep that will not 

 stand the poor fare of poor country. Delicate in early 

 life, once it passes its first year it maintains robustness 

 when other longwool breeds begin to decline. In other 

 words, it is a longer lived animal. In New Zealand 

 the Lincoln blood is in many of the crossbred flocks, 

 and it is prominent in the composition of the new 

 Corriedale breed. The Lincoln ram fine-headed ones 

 are selected on account of the animal's preponderating 

 size is used largely for crossing with Merino ewes, and 

 the Lincoln-Romney cross of the North Island is well 

 known. The Lincoln is a most valuable sheep on 



