LINCOLN SHEEP. 123 



and exposed situation well, and they require no artificial 

 food during the hardest winter, except a little hay."* 



The average weight of the fleece is from 6 to 7 lbs. 

 The breed has been successfully crossed with the Leices- 

 ter, and many of the bad points of the original stock rec- 

 tified. 



LINCOLN SHEEP. 



From the fact that the Lincoln sheep have been intro- 

 duced into this and other states, and are deservedly formida- 

 ble rivals of the Leicester and Cotswold, the author, from 

 motives of delicacy towards the respective breeders, prefers 

 to render the account of the Lincoln breed in the language 

 of Mr. Youat, which, on perusal, will appear an impartial 

 one. 



After contradicting, on good grounds, the assertions that 

 the breed was originally foreign, he says — " The Lincoln 

 sheep, according to Ellis, who is the oldest agricultural wri- 

 ter in whom any description of them is given, were the 

 " longest legged and largest carcassed sheep of all others, 

 and carried more wool on them than any sheep whatsoever." 



" It is true that a larger quantity of wool was clipped from 

 the Lincolnshire sheep than any other in the kingdom ; and 

 thence arose the error into which the Lincolnshire breeders 

 fell ; they bred for the fleece, and for the fleece alone. 

 Bakewell neglected the fleece — the Lincolnshire farmer the 

 carcase ; hence the opposite errors of each, and the reason- 

 ableness and advantage of the plan by which both the car- 

 case and fleece were at length brought to the highest degree 

 of perfection. 



" If the Lincolnshire farmer too much neglected the car- 

 case, there were times when the sheep, or when nature, 

 would vindicate its claims. It is true that the form was 

 gaunt and somewhat unsightly, but the excellence of the 

 breed, as a grazing sheep, would occasionally appear. If 

 the Lincoln would consume more food than the Leicester, it 

 would increase in weight proportionably to the extra quan- 

 tity of food which it ate ; and this, together with the addi- 

 tional weight of wool, rendered it nearly or quite as profita- 

 ble to the farmer. 



" There was a long and acrimonious contest between the 



* Price on Shoep. 



