338 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



THE CHEVOIT is thus described by Blacklock: " They 

 have a bare head, with a long jaw, and white face, but no 

 horns. Sometimes they have a shade of grey upon the nose, 

 approaching to dark at the tip ; at others, a tinge of lemon 

 color on the face, but these markings scarcely affect their 

 value. The legs are clean, long, and small-boned, and cov- 

 ered with wool to the hough ; but there is a sad want of 

 depth at the breast, and of breadth both there and on the 

 chine. A fat carcass weighs from 1*2 Ibs. to IB Ibs. per quar- 

 ter, and a medium fleece about 3 Ibs. The purest specimens 

 of this breed are to be found on the Scotch side of the Che- 

 voit hills, and on the high and stony mountain farms which 

 lie between that range and the sources of the Tevoit. These 

 sheep are a capital mountain stock, provided the pasture 

 resembles the Chevoit hills, in containing a good proportion 

 of rich herbage." They are eminently adapted to high 

 lands and a severe climate, though less so than the Black- 

 faced or Heath sheep of Scotland. They have become an 

 American sheep, by their repeated introduction into this 

 country. A late importation of several choice sheep was 

 made by Mr. Carmichael of New-York. The wool on these 

 is from 5 to 7 inches long, coarse, but well suited to combing. 

 Like the Downs, it has heretofore been classed among the 

 middle wools, but these specimens would seem to indicate 

 that they are verging towards the long wools. 



THE BAKEWELL OR LEICESTER, THE COTSWOLD AND 

 LINCOLNSHIRE possess several qualities in common, and it is 

 only a practiced eye that can readily detect the difference. 

 This resemblance arises from a recent, common origin. They 

 are all large and hornless; of a pure wh.te; with long, 

 coarse and heavy fleeces ; excellent mutton sheep ; coming 

 early to maturity, and capable of carrying enormous quanti- 

 ties of fat. There have been from time immemorial, numer- 

 ous flocks of these large, coarse wooled sheep, existing in 

 certain parts of England under a variety of names, and par- 

 taking of some slight peculiariry of features, according to the 

 district in which they are bred. Thus, besides those above 

 mentioned, there were the Teeswater, the Rorriney Marsh, 

 the Kentish, the Bampton, the Exmoor, &c., all of which were 

 deficient in form, slow feeders, and late in corning to maturity. 



Improvement of the Long Wools. The late Robert Bake well 

 first commenced a decided improvement with the Leicesters, 

 nearly a century since. He began by selecting the choicest 

 sheep in England, which possessed the essential qualities ; 



