468 BREEDS, CROSSES, &C. 



ly to every gentleman and farmer I conversed with on the 

 subje6l, and, at my persuasion (as many well know), the 

 late Mr. Macro, of Barrow, purchased that flock which 

 the Earl of Orford, after his death, bought and esta- 

 blished at Houghton. Mr. Macro died in 1789. 



In a paper printed in the Annah^ in 1790, I remark : 

 *' I have had six and twenty years experience of Norfolk 

 sheep, and once thought so Nyell of them as to carry them 

 into Hertfordshire ; but in the advance of my praiSticc, I 

 began gradually to doubt the superior merit of that breed. 

 I thought, that of all the sheep which I had examined 

 particularly, none promised to answer so well for the gene- 

 ral purpose of the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk as the 

 South Downs. I began the import in 1784, and in 

 1790 had 350. I had too much friendship for the late 

 Mr. Macro, to advise him to try any experiment that [ 

 was not clear would answer to him. I repeatedly urged 

 him to try the South Downs ; he listened to me with at- 

 tention for some time, hut would not determine, till, having 

 seen the number I kept propoj tionably to the quaiuity ot 

 land*, and at the same time with someNortolks, it proved 

 to him that the South Downs were worth attending to , 

 and the journey I persuaded him to take into Sussex, giv- 

 ing him an opportunity to converse with various noted 

 sheep-masters there, he determined to make the experi- 

 ment : he went over, previous to Lewes fair, and bought 

 a flock of them. The Iambs sold well at Ipswich fair. 

 Mr. Le Blanc, at Cavenham, also turned South Down 

 rams to 700 Norfolk ewes: he found no difficulty at Ips- 

 wich; and his shepherd, after three years obstinate pre- 

 ference to Norfolks, gave up his old friends, and adlually 



* On 240 acres, 353 sheep, 4; head of caille, 10 horses, and «very y«ar 

 7» acres of corn. 1790. Annals, vol. xv. 



&et 



