British Breeds of Sheep 55 



and hence attain heavy weight at an early age. The 

 highest rate of gain made by the Leicester at Smith- 

 field was in 1887, when the first prize pen averaged 

 .76 pound daily from birth to time of slaughter which 

 nearly equal the best records that have been made. 

 These figures sustain the claims made for the early 

 maturing qualities of the Leicester. From them it is 

 evident that members of this breed are capable of 

 standing high feeding and return rapid gains, but it 

 leaves the point undecided as to whether or not the 

 gains are profitable. The quality of the meat from 

 the Leicester is not conceded to rank with the best, as 

 the preponderance of fat is a characteristic of the car- 

 cass. This adds to the percentage of offal and in re- 

 turn detracts from the value of the carcass. 



In the first volume of the American Leicester 

 Record, it is said that the Leicester matures very 

 early and is of good size; the rams weighing 300 

 pounds and the ewes 200 to 250 pounds, each fine- 

 boned and with very little offal, making a very 

 profitable animal for market as well as for wool. 



Characteristics of the Leicester fleece. — The weight 

 of the fleece of the Leicester has been estimated to be 

 10 to 15 pounds. Twelve pounds would express a 

 fair average. Referring to the fleece, a writer states 

 that the wool is fine in texture, tolerably lengthy and 

 often curly, varying in weight according to the type 

 from about 6 or 7 pounds to 9 or 10 pounds. The 

 wool is at least 8 to 10 inches long and very fine and 



