’ 
THE MUTTON BREEDS OF SHEEP 351 
was organized at Indianapolis, Indiana. Six years later, 
these two societies united to form the American Cheviot 
Sheep Society. The latter organization continues the 
publication of the flock-book. 
LEICESTER SHEEP. Plate XIII. Fig. 71. 
By David McCrae 
423. The Leicester (pronounced Les’ter) sheep are a 
long-wool mutton breed, developed largely in the county 
of Leicester in England. The land in this county is fertile 
and rolling, and well adapted for sheep-raising. 
424. History in England. — The Leicester sheep are 
named from the county of Leicester (Les’ter) in England, 
where the breed had its origin. Robert Bakewell of Dishley 
near Loughborough in Leicestershire, began his sheep- 
breeding efforts about 1755. His object was to produce 
a breed that would fatten quickly at an early age. Before 
this, bulk of body and weight of fleece had been the aim 
of breeders of long-wools. The common sheep of the 
county at that time were large, heavy and coarse-wooled, 
white-faced, flat-sided, with large bones and long, thick, 
rough legs. Bakewell would never tell how he got his 
flock up to the excellence which later distinguished it, 
nor yet the breeds he used, but it is thought that the basis 
was the old Teeswater breed, modified by selections from 
the local breeds of long-wools in the district. This Tees- 
water breed, from the valley of the river Tees in Yorkshire, 
was a tall, clumsy animal, small in the bone, round in the 
rib, and with a thin fleece of long wool. It made good 
mutton, but was slow in maturing. Bakewell bred 
for mutton, with the least bone and the least waste, and 
