442 



SHEEP 



The Cotswold as a wool producer, as has already been desig- 

 nated, has long had high rank. The fleece is of a lustrous charac- 

 ter with a tendency to coarseness, and on mature sheep may 

 attain a length of 12 to 14 inches, but is somewhat shorter 

 than that of the Lincoln. Eight to ten inches is a usual length. 

 Many flocks show an average weight of fleece of over 10 pounds. 

 George S. Baber of Kentucky for years kept about forty breeding 

 ewes, which averaged 10 pounds of wool per head. For years 

 C. L. Day of Wisconsin had a large flock and the fleeces aver- 

 aged about 1 1 pounds each. Wallace places the yield of fleece 

 for ewes at 6 to 8 pounds, and Wrightson says that in " crack " 

 flocks the fleeces may run to 9^- pounds, and many fleeces have 

 been shown weighing close to 14 pounds, but these are excep- 

 tional. In selecting breeding rams one well covered on belly and 

 scrotum should be sought, shearing a heavy, relatively compact 

 fleece, showing plenty of crimp and quality. 



The distribution of the Cotswold has been rather widespread 

 in the past. It has seemed particularly suited to Gloucestershire 

 and adjoining sections of England, and while flocks exist outside 

 of that locality, the breed is not common. It has been exported 

 to Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Russia, Canada, 

 and the United States. In this country it has had a wide distri- 

 bution, and twenty-five years ago was a prominent breed in some 

 sections, notably Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. At the present 

 time Wisconsin and Ohio have superior breeding flocks, but 

 Ontario, Canada, leads in this respect. The demand for smaller 

 mutton with less external fat and for a medium or fine wool has 

 materially injured Cotswold development in America. 



Organizations for promoting Cotswold sheep are maintained in 

 England and America. The Cotswold Sheep Society of England 

 was organized in 1892, and has published a number of volumes of 

 its flock book. The American Cotswold Sheep Association was 

 organized in 1878, and has published twelve volumes of flock 

 books up to 1905, registering nearly 35,000 sheep. 



