6 THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHEEP RAISING 



sheep and their ability to travel ; third,, the disposition to stay close 

 together when feeding, resting, or travelling. 



Stationary Flocks. Spain also had stationary flocks, some of 

 which had coarse wool and others wool resembling that of the 

 travelling flocks. These stationary flocks were of importance num- 

 erically in Spain, but they contributed little or nothing to sheep 

 raising in outside countries. 



Sheep Raising in England. England, instead of developing 

 one or two general types of sheep, saw fit to encourage several types 

 that were markedly different in the length and fineness of their 

 wool. None of the wools from these breeds was as fine as that of 

 the Merino, but they sold readily in the markets nevertheless, for 

 they were more suitable for a variety of uses than wool from Spain. 



Aside from the difference in the nature of the wool, the sheep 

 industries of England and Spain were dissimilar in other ways. The 

 flocks of England were not in the hands of a very few powerful 

 owners as they were in Spain. Travelling flocks were not established. 

 The great problem of the Eaiglish sheep farmer of earlier times was 

 to procure sheep that were adapted to his particular locality. This 

 largely accounts for the fact that there were many types. Another 

 factor may have been the poor conditions for travelling, which kept 

 the English farmer close to his home. With cold winters, scarcity 

 of winter feed, and diseases to contend with, conditions were hard, 

 and the owner was content with a type of sheep that would best 

 withstand these hardships whether or not it would produce the kind 

 of wool he most desired. 



Events Affecting Sheep Raising. The great plague, or Black 

 Death, of 1348, served as a great impetus to sheep growing in Eng- 

 land. Laborers were so reduced in number by this plague that land 

 owners were obliged to turn their lands into pastures. As sheep 

 paid better than other classes of livestock, owing to the high price of 

 wool, sheep raising became the " sheet anchor of English farming.' 7 

 Flock husbandry, however, was still only a partial success because of 

 inability to cope with the severe winters. The fact that it was 

 profitable at all shows what a great demand there was for wool. 



During the reign of Edward TIT (1327-1377) a grant of special 

 protection made in favor of all Flemish weavers, dyers, and fullers, 

 who would settle in England for the purpose of following their 

 trade, resulted in securing artisans skilled in the then most improved 

 methods of cloth making. Soon afterwards, English wools came 



