298 THE DOMESTIC SHEEP. 



like the Heath sheep, black and white faced, horned in 

 both sexes, carrying a superior fleece of fine, moderately long 

 wool, which is closer in texture, more springy and elastic 

 than the wool of the Scotch Black-faces. The breed is 

 peculiar for resisting the effects of a damp soil. The Lonk is 

 a larger, thicker made, and better wooled sheep than the 

 Scotch Black-faced, and was well represented at the show of 

 the Royal at Chester in 1893." 



THE ROSCOMMON 



of to-day is a comparatively recent and very great improve- 

 ment on the old, large, raw-boned, ungainly native sheep of 

 Connaught, the chief sheep raising province of Ireland. The 

 earliest modification of the ugly old Connaughters, both in 

 form and fleece, was effected by Leicester rams skillfully 

 mated with native ewes by the most intelligent breeders 

 of Roscommon County. Later improvement came by careful 

 selection, resulting in a stately, massive sheep of command- 

 ing presence, noble, if not handsome. Yearling grass fed 

 wethers yield 25 and 30 Ibs. and older ewes from 30 to 40 

 Ibs. to the quarter of superior mutton. Early maturity, too, 

 seems characteristic of these sheep which carry 7 to 10 

 Ib. fleeces of soft, pliable, lustrous long staple wool. Not 

 alone to favoring crosses and selection are due the stately 

 and massive form and rich fleece of the modern Roscommon. 

 Environments salt sea breezes, with their favoring humidity, 

 the rich herbage and browse, the soils, geology and topog- 

 raphy of Connaught have had much to do with the develop- 

 ment of this breed of sheep into its noble proportions. The 

 Roscommon is rather large for the present English mutton 

 fashion, but fashion may change to suit the noble Roscom- 

 mon, or the Roscommcn may change to suit the fashion. 

 This is an age of marvels in sheep evolution and changes 

 follow each other thick and fast. 



THE RADNOR 



is a native of Radnor, Merioneth, Montgomery and Breck- 

 nock Counties, Wales, and one of the old mountain breeds, 

 originally very small, but now bred up to medium size and 

 good form through Leicester and Shropshire crosses, until 

 at maturity (three or four years old) the well bred and well 

 fed wether turns a twelve to fifteen Ib. quarter and the ewe 



