THE BREED OF THE WICKLOW MOUNTAINS. 71 



'.t were certainly to be desired, that the ancient breeds of 

 these mountains could be preserved, as being naturalized to 

 the country, and producing a kind of wool, which is suited to 

 a useful class of manufactures ; yet, undoubtedly, individual 

 breeders will find it more for their interest to adopt a breed 

 already improved, than to incur the long delay and expense 

 of improving the existing ones. Crossing will probably be 

 resorted to more frequently than an entire substitution of a 

 new breed ; and it is important, that the breeders proceed 

 with judgment in the system of crossing which they adopt. 

 They should select the breed which experience shews to be 

 the best calculated to amalgamate with the existing race. 

 The most suitable for this purpose seems, as has been already 

 said, to be the Cheviot, as being the inhabitants of an elevated 

 country, and producing a kind of wool, which, though dif- 

 ferent from the Welsh, yet brings a good price in the 

 market. The Southdowns, with all their valuable properties, 

 seem scarcely so well suited to these humid mountains, as the 

 more robust Cheviots ; and it is remarkable, that the South 

 Down Breed is less in favour with breeders in the moist cli- 

 mate of the western parts of this country, than towards the 

 eastern coasts, where the drier climate is nearer to that of 

 the Chalky Downs which may be regarded as the native 

 country of the race. Some attempts have been made to cross 

 the Welsh Sheep with the Black-faced Heath Breed of Scot- 

 land. But a race superior to the Black-faced Heath Sheep 

 could exist in the mountains of Wales, and the effect of such 

 an intermixture would be to destroy that fineness of fleece 

 which is proper to the existing breeds. 



V. THE BREED OF THE WICKLOW MOUNTAINS. 



Ireland, from the fertility of the soil, and the mildness and 

 humidity of the climate, is in an eminent degree adapted to 



