THE COTSWOLD. ST 



Cbe Cotswold Breed, 



This is a very ancient breed. "\Ve find favorable mention is- 

 made of the Cotswolds by the very early writers. Speed, writ- 

 ing nearly '250 years ago, says that the wool from this breed 

 rivalled that of Spain. It has been claimed that they even were 

 the origin of the Spanish Merino, it being a historical fact that 

 Edward TV. permitted the exportation of a number of this breed 

 to Spain, where they increased and spread rapidly, but, as before 

 stated in the chapter on the "origin of sheep," Spanish wool was 

 noted long before this for its fineness of fibre. "\Ve also find writ- 

 ers in the time of Queen Elizabeth ' speaking about the long- 

 wooled Cotswold, which would go far to prove that the breed has 

 always been So, and that they were never originally short-wooled. 

 The COTSWOLD is a large, hornless sheep, with a long iind 

 abundant fleece. The ewes are good nurses and very prolific. The 

 Cotswold of to-day contains a considerable strain of the Leicester, 

 which has tended to rather diminish the size and shorten the 

 fleece, but they have retained the hardihood of the Cotswold, and 

 are good rustlers and should cross well on the native stock of 

 this country. 



Description of the Cotswold. 



Legs and face white, with occasional dashes of brown or 

 gray, showing traces of the original stock. The head is strong 

 and massive, without horns, and having a heavy forelock of 

 wool; the neck and fore-quarters are strong and square; the 

 brisket fairly prominent; the hind quarters are square, full and 

 broad; the ribs well sprung, making a round barrel; the flanks 

 are deep; the legs close but not long; the bone fairly heavy. 

 Their general appearance is attractive, indicating a hardy, vigor- 

 ous animal. They are shaped to fatten easily, making them a 

 prime mutton breed. The fleece is close upon the back, and 



