448 SHEEP. 



bad, loins narrow, back-bone high, chines thin, legs 

 long, pelt good, disposition very wild and roving, not 

 hardy, though formerly thought so: rate of stocking half 

 a sheep per acre. Mutton i81b. a quarter equal to any 

 in the world in cold weather, and yields an uncommon 

 quantity of high coloured gravy. 



Mr. Kent thus characterizes them : — " When great 

 tra£ls of heath-land were brought into cultivation, the Nor- 

 folk sheep gave great aid to the new improvement : 

 hardy in their nature, and of an agile constru6lion, so as 

 to move over a great deal of space with little labour, 

 folding became in high estimation. The turnip system 

 enabled the farmer to improve his stock by better keeping, 

 so that at this time they are become respedlable and pro- 

 fitable in their return, and in as high estimation at Smith- 

 field as any sheep whatever. 



" I have no patience with the great farmer, in suffering 

 himself to be lulled into so gross an error, as to prefer 

 Lincolns and Leicesters ; he will never be able to substi- 

 tute any other sheep that will answer penning so well as 

 the native sliecp. It is a manifest incongruity, to cross a 

 Norfolk with a South Down." 



The following is Mr. Marshall's account: — *' T!ie 

 Norfolk breed of sheep, taken all in all, appears to be sin- 

 gularly well adapted to the soil and system of management 

 prevalent in this county. They may be bred, and will 

 thrive upon heath and barren sliecp-walks, where nine- 

 tenths of the breeds in the kingdom would starve: they 

 stand the fold perfe6lly well ; fat freely at two years old ; 

 bear the drift remarkably well to Smithfield, or other dis- 

 tant markets ; and the superior flavour of the Norfolk 

 mutton is univerbally acknowledged ; therefore the Nor- 

 folk husbandmen, in their sheep as well as in their cattle, 

 have much to lose. The sheep appear to me, from a 



knowledge 



