50 Sheep-Farming 



to dissimilarities of geological formations, soil, and 

 vegetation. 



Occasional and chance importations from other 

 lands impressed incidental features upon some of the 

 native types, and features so received still persist 

 as incidental but distinctive traits of more recent 

 and highly improved breeds. Of this class of char- 

 acteristics is the black face which, if its origin could 

 be determined, might establish connection with the 

 native black-faced breed of Abyssinia, most known in 

 Persia. 



While English agriculture was by no means in a 

 crude form in the middle of the eighteenth cen- 

 tury, there was yet to come the wonderful era of 

 improving the usefulness of farm animals inaugu- 

 rated by Robert Bakewell. Before the time of 

 Bakewell (1726-1795), it is likely that the idea now 

 too common with us, of limiting sheep-farming to 

 the less valuable lands, was more or less prevalent 

 in Europe. He won for the sheep in general and in 

 intensive farming by making the production of mut- 

 ton their chief end. The sphere of the sheep spread 

 from the rough pasture range to the lower and more 

 fertile fields, until at this time they have adapted 

 themselves to all the physical conditions existing in 

 Great Britain. The breeder, by working in harmony 

 with the environment, has produced and preserved 

 small differences in type and many peculiarities 

 through which each of the resulting breeds has special 



