SELECTION OF SHEEP. 409 



With this object in view, some one of the mutton breeds 

 must be selected, either for pure breeding or to cross upon 

 the Merino or grade sheep. The latter must, of necessity, 

 be the plan adopted, since there are not pure-bred sheep 

 enough to be had within any practicable limit of price to 

 set up any large number of flocks. It is therefore evident 

 that we must breed our mutton sheep from the materials at 

 our command, and we certainly have a pretty extensive 

 variety of material upon which to engraft the Down, Lei- 

 cester, or Cotswold blood. 



If our breeders will follow the wise example of Bakeweli, 

 in reference to the style of sheep to be improved, it will 

 much hasten their progress. In Bakewell's time, Leicester 

 sheep were long-legged, rough-boned sheep, greatly wanting 

 in symmetry of form. He started out with the sound 

 principle that the largest proportion of the value of the 

 sheep was in its mutton, and he had also observed that the 

 medium-sized, compact, and symmetrically-formed sheep 

 took on flesh much more readily than the larger and 

 rougher specimens. He therefore .selected from various 

 flocks the most evenly and symmetrically-developed animals 

 he could find, that showed the greatest aptitude to fatten, 

 and that he thought would produce the largest proportion 

 of valuable meat, and the least amount of offal. Having 

 made his selections, he carefully studied the peculiarities of 

 the individual animals from which lie bred, and never hesi- 

 tated to discard those that did not come up to his ideal. It 

 is true he selected all his animals from the old Leicester 

 blood, and that he did not scruple to breed those together 

 that were related, but the animals bred were selected for 

 their strong points of adaptation, to each other. 



Breeders of to-day may select on the same principle as 



did Bakeweli, choosing the medium-sized ewes and those 



having the most even development, from the grade Merinos 



or the common bloods, and crossing upon these a good 



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