SHEEP 171 



suggestion of T. Willis, of Carperby, " the term Wensleydales 

 Long-wool was substituted for the somewhat uncouth yet time- 

 honoured name of Mug." There are in some strains a number of 

 black sheep, and it is noted that the bluer the face of the parents 

 the greater the proportion of black lambs. 



The points of the breed as noted by Wm. Parlour, of Darling- 

 ton, are : " Its size, its broad open countenance, its strong neck, deep 

 wide chest, broad back, massive proportions, and long curling wool, 

 and particularly its gay carriage. It is hornless, is well covered with 

 wool underneath and down its thighs and legs, and has a tuft of wool 

 on the forehead. A special and peculiar feature is its blue face ; the 

 skin is often blue, not only on the face and ears, where it is plainly 

 visible, but over the whole body. This gives it a distinctive and easily 

 recognized character." 



Writing of the wool, J. W. Turner, of Bradford, says : " It 

 is known in the trade under the name of ' Ripon wool.' " He gives 

 the following points regarding it : " (i) Its pure lustre. (2) It is the 

 finest quality of pure lustre, and this has been obtained by selection 

 within the breed itself, and not by the introduction of down or half- 

 bred down blood. (3) It is silky in handle. (4) It is quite long enough 

 in the staple. (5) It is very even in quality. In one small point I 

 venture to criticize it adversely — the staple is too small and thin, 

 being what is known in the trade as " whiplashy." 



There was no class for the Wensleydales when the Royal Show 

 was at Carlisle in 1880, and the first occasion when the premier society 

 allotted them a class was at York in 1883. Unfortunately there are 

 two Wensleydale societies and two flock-books started in 1899, viz., 

 the " Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Breeders' Society " and the 

 " Incorporated Wensleydale Blue-faced Sheep Breeders' Association," 

 both of which have many Westmorland members, and the first named 

 hold annual sales at Kirkby Stephen, where in 1900 prizes were offered 

 for aged, shearling and ram lambs, and the prices realised at the sale 

 were : aged rams £3 to £g 5s., shearling rams £4 5s. to ;{ii, and ram 

 lambs £3 to £g 15s. Lord Henry Bentinck is the principal Westmor- 

 land breeder, others being : Dent, of Bolton ; Willis, Nether Hoff ; 

 Graham, Eden Grove ; Pallister and Furniss, Appleby ; Tebay, 

 Grayrigg ; and many others. 



