British Breeds of Sheep 89 



late been considerably diminished in extent under 

 the influence of cultivation and the generally im- 

 proved condition of the country." It appears also 

 that two heath varieties also contributed to the 

 foundation of the Shropshire, and their native dis- 

 tricts were the Longmynd range in Shropshire and 

 Cannock Chase in Staffordshire. 



Original sources of Shropshire. — The foundation 

 material used in establishing this breed were the 

 sheep known as Morfe Commons, the Longmynd 

 sheep, and also those of the Cannock Chase. A 

 writer, referring to the evolution of the Shropshire, 

 sums it up briefly as follows : "The original heath 

 breeds of the Longmynd range in ShroJ)shire and 

 Cannock Chase in Staffordshire, having horns and 

 black faces, were improved first with Southdown 

 blood and afterwards by selection until the present 

 Shropshire breed was established. Two of the 

 most celebrated founders of the breed were Mr. 

 Samuel Meire, who made use of both Southdown 

 and Leicester blood, and Mr. George Adney, who, 

 beginning with a sheep descended from a Southdown 

 cross, brought his flock to extraordinary perfection 

 by selection and breeding. " Plymley , in his " General 

 View of the Agriculture of Shropshire" (page 260), 

 published in 1803, says of the Longmynd sheep : 

 "There is a breed of sheep on the Longmynd with 

 horns and black faces that seems an indigenous sort ; 

 they are nimble, hardy, and weigh near ten pound 



