THE LEICESTER 



435 



common breed to-day, however, in any part of the world, even in 

 England, its native home. There are small flocks kept in each 

 of the Canadian provinces, but more in Ontario than elsewhere. 

 In the United States the breed is mainly represented in Michigan, 

 Pennsylvania, Oregon, Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois. 



Organizations in behalf of Leicester sheep date back consider- 

 ably over a century. In the time of Bakewell the Dishley Society 

 was organized to support this great breeder in establishing a 

 new breed. This society had various meetings and adopted dif- 

 ferent resolutions. No. 4, passed in 1790, provided that " secrecy 

 be kept by all members respecting the business of these meet- 

 ings, except to absent members." Resolution No. 13 provided 

 that " no member shall let a ram, share or part of a ram, to any 

 ram breeder residing within thirty miles of Leicester, not being 

 a member, who hired a ram of Mr. Bakewell last season, 1789." 

 This society existed many years and was very influential. At 

 the present time there is a Leicester Sheep Breeders' Society 

 in England. In this country we have the American Leicester 



Fig. 204. A group of Border Leicester yearling rams owned by 

 J. R. C. Smith, Scotland. Photograph from the owner 



Breeders' Association, established in 1888, which has issued four 

 volumes of flock books up to 1904, registering about 7000 head. 

 The Border Leicester breed of sheep belongs to the Leicester 

 family, but differs from it somewhat in type. The origin of 

 the Border Leicester has been credited to the Culley brothers, 

 who first used Leicester rams (obtained from Bakewell) on Tees- 

 water ewes. Some authors have regarded the Border Leicester 



