SHEEP. 25 



These three breeds tend now to absorb all others, and 

 take entire possession of Great Britain. Some local varie- 

 ties, remain, however, and develop themselves separately. 

 Such are those of Komney Marsh in Kent, those of the 

 uplands or Cotswold hills of Gloucestershire, the long- 

 wool races of Lincoln and Teeswater,* the short-wool of 

 Dorset and Herefordshire, &c. All these breeds are im- 

 proved upon the principles followed with the Dishley, 

 Southdowns, and Cheviots. Throughout England, the 

 sheep farmer now seeks either to improve his breed by 

 itself, or by crossing it with others already improved, or 

 else he substitutes one of these breeds for his own 

 whichever method appears to him most efficacious for 

 increasing the precocity and giving roundness of form to 

 his produce. It may be said that the genius of Bakewell 

 pervades all his countrymen. 



Let us attempt a rough comparison between the an- 

 nual produce derived by the two countries from this 

 equal number of sheep. 



The production of wool in France may be put down at 

 about sixty millions of kilos.t This production in England 

 is reckoned at 550,000 packs, of 240 Ib. English, equal 

 to sixty millions of kilos also. The two countries would 

 then be on an equal footing as regards wool ; but England 

 takes the lead in an enormous ratio when the question 

 comes to be of meat. 



About ten millions of head are annually slaughtered in 

 the British Isles, of which eight millions belong to Eng- 

 land alone, yielding, at the average weight of thirty-six 

 kilos (80 Ib.) of net meat, three hundred and sixty mil- 

 lions of kilos. 



* The long-wools of Lincoln have of late risen into greater favour; and 

 some splendid specimens have recently been exhibited at the great Shows in 

 England. J. D. t A kilogramme = 2^ Ib. English. 



