40 BULLETIN 94, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



prehensible. Their improvement is noteworthy, not only because 

 they were later able to directly impart their superiorities to other 

 breeds, but also because principles were established in their develop- 

 ment that have since been of inestimable value in establishing and 

 improving other breeds. 



To Robert Bakewell, of Dishley Hall, near Loughborough, Leices- 

 tershire, belongs the honor of establishing this breed, and he has 

 fittingly been called the "father" of improved live stock. Bakewell 

 was a rather quiet man, and there are stories about a "black ram" 

 that he used in his breeding operations and of other secretive proceed- 

 ings that he resorted to. It is much more likely that he used the 

 long- wool sheep of his district, and especially the Old Leicesters, which 

 have been described as being a long, thin, flat-sided, slow-maturing 

 sheep possessing large bones and rough legs and generally lacking in 

 quality. Their fleece was from 12 to 15 inches long and heavy, and 

 this had been the chief consideration in their development. Bake- 

 well began breeding in 1755 for improved form, better feeding qual- 

 ities, earlier maturity, and reduction of bone and offal. In other 

 words, he bred for more mutton and paid little or no attention to 

 wool. He bred the " best to the best," to use his own expression, and 

 practiced inbreeding whenever he deemed it necessary. He was an 

 exceptional judge of live stock, and he constantly mated animals 

 together of his approved type until he had succeeded in establishing 

 a breed that would almost invariably hand down their characteristics 

 to their offspring. To be brief, he fixed the type. 



However, with the improvements there were also some weaknesses 

 that manifested themselves in the New Leicester. These were 

 more delicacy of constitution, impaired milking qualities, a lighter 

 fleece, and decreased prolificacy. At this time, however, these were 

 not regarded as of very great importance. 



For a time Bakewell had trouble in convincing the public of the 

 desirability of his breeding stock, but later these sheep became very 

 popular and spread all over England. The Dishley Society was 

 founded about 1790 for advancing the interests of the breed, and it 

 greatly aided in further establishing the Leicester. This society 

 preferred to rent their rams. After they were established the 

 Leicester became very popular for crossing upon the other breeds, as 

 they were prepotent to such an extent that the cross usually pos- 

 sessed most of the good qualities of the breed. 



The mutton was never of the highest quality. It was coarse- 

 grained and contained too much fat, which was deposited externally 

 instead of being mixed with the lean. As the demand at that time 

 was for quantity rather than quality, this had little effect upon the 

 popularity and distribution of the breed. Since then the importance 



