THE MUTTON BREEDS OF SHEEP 357 
grazing qualities, but cannot be said to be very prolific. 
(Plate XITI.) 
435. Uses of Lincoln sheep. — The Lincoln is bred 
for wool, and its reputation has been made from the fleece. 
Lincolnshire has an area of about twenty-seven hundred 
square miles, and its annual wool clip exceeds nine million 
pounds of washed wool. For many centuries this wool 
has had a reputation for strong, tough fiber, the fen wool 
especially having this marked toughness. It is said 
by many persons that the breed removed from its 
native fen land loses the tough, strong quality of fiber, 
no matter how good the pasture may be to which it is re- 
moved. Eighteen pounds of wool for mature rams, and 
fourteen to sixteen for mature ewes may be considered 
average yields. 
The Lincoln has been widely used, especially in New 
Zealand, for crossing on Merino stock to give a long 
combing wool. It impresses its long-wool qualities on 
its offspring. This cross is also much employed in Ar- 
gentina and Australia, to produce large wool sheep, and 
incidentally mutton, for the English market. The pure- 
bred Lincoln is not popular for mutton purposes, as it is 
too fat, and the mutton is of inferior quality. 
436. Distribution. — Lincoln sheep are still largely bred 
in their old home in Lincolnshire and neighboring counties 
in England. In Australia and New Zealand they are 
favorites for crossing purposes, and they have also reached 
Russia and South Africa. In South America they are 
popular, and very high prices have been paid for export 
rams to go to Argentina, but in North America they have 
not gained the same favor. There are a few good flocks in 
Canada, mainly in Ontario, and some have been tried on 
western ranches with more or less success. 
