TEESWATER SHEEP ROMNEY MARSH SHEEP. 121 



and, when the spring was severe, seldom more than two thirds 

 of the lambs could sm-vive the ravages of the storm." 



Sir John Sinclair has also recorded his opinion on this 

 point. " The Leicester breed is perhaps the best ever 

 reared for a rich arable district ; but the least tincture of this 

 blood is destructive of the mountain sheep, as it makes them 

 incapable of withstanding the least scarcity of food." 



The New Leicester breed have been extensively intro- 

 duced into the North American British Provinces, and the 

 United States ; and when suitable localities have been 

 chosen, their cultivation has been attended with success. 



TEESWATER SHEEP. 



This breed derives its name from the river which sepa- 

 rates Durham from Yorkshire. It is supposed, from its simi- 

 larity of conformation to the old Lincolnshires, to have orig- 

 inated from that stock. " It was a tall, clumsy animal, poll- 

 ed, and with white face and legs : the bones small compared 

 with those of other large breeds, yet supporting a thicker, 

 firmer, and heavier body than their size would indicate ; 

 wide upon the back, somewhat round in the barrel, and yet 

 yielding a heavier carcase than any other sheep, but propor- 

 tionably longer in growing to perfection ; the meat, how^- 

 ever, was finer-grained than could be expected from such an 

 animal." 



The old Teeswater was exceedingly prolific. Mr. Cully 

 records a singular instance of a ewe belonging to a Mr. Ed- 

 dison, which, at two years old, brought him four lambs, 

 three in the following year, two in the succeeding one, and 

 the extraordinary number of five, the next year. The fleece 

 weighed about nine pounds previous to any improvement of 

 the carcase by the cross of the New Leicester ; and the 

 wool was remarkably long, coarse, and thinly set on the 

 skin. 



The improvement which followed the cross alluded to, 

 at length superseded entirely the old breed ; and the im- 

 proved Teeswater sheep now rivals the Leicester, in dis- 

 position to fatten, early maturity, as well as quality of 

 fleece. 



ROMNEY MARSH SHEEP, OF KENT. 



Romney Marsh Is an extensive tract of land recovered 

 from the sea in a very earlv period of English history. 



11 



