SHEEP HUSBANDEY. 151 



the Christian era) , and so thoroughly did they study and so 

 practically did they breed and tend their flocks, that they 

 soon became celebrated for their fine fleece, and as their 

 sheep were pastured in winter on the plains of southern 

 Spain and in the spring were driven to the mountain pastures 

 of northern Spain, a distance of about four hundred miles, 

 which took six weeks of driving, they became a very hardy 

 and tough breed, as all those inclined to be weak, died. 

 The fleeces in those days weighed : ram, eight and one-half 

 pounds } ewe, five pounds, which shrank about one-half. 



The French merino, imported under royal auspices in 

 about 1786, were very much improved, and their fleeces had 

 increased in weight to : ram, twenty-four pounds ; ewe, four- 

 teen. 



It would take too long and tax your patience too much 

 to describe the many old-fashioned breeds of sheep that 

 were known in various parts of the world, and I shall only 

 describe briefly a few of the older breeds and speak a little 

 more fully about some of the newer ones before getting to 

 the more practical part of my matter. 



Most of the known breeds of sheep in England have, at 

 some time, been brought to this country and experimented 

 with, and we are all more or less familiar with the names of 

 the breeds, and many of us have seen, perhaps, some speci- 

 mens. 



The Forest breeds, so called, are of two kinds, the Ex- 

 moor and Dartmoor, which run wild in the west of Eng- 

 land, are small, producing a light carcass of high-flavored 

 mutton, weighing only about forty pounds to the carcass. 



The Black-faced Heath sheep is a semi- wild breed found 

 in the north of England and in Scotland, very hardy and 

 strong, much prized for its superior high-flavored mutton. 

 It is a very adaptable breed, and very many flocks are fat- 

 tened on the rich meadows of Engknd. 



AVhere the flocks are exposed to the severity of all the 

 storms, it used to be the custom to smear the whole flock 

 with a mixture of tar and butter (8 to 6) in November, 

 which practice, I have no doubt, kept out a great deal of 

 wet ; but I believe that kind of wool was never in very great 

 demand by the manufacturers. 



