THE SHROPSHIRE 



5S3 



that on Morfe Common, near Bridgnorth in southeast Shropshire, 

 as many as 10,000 sheep were pastured in summer which pro- 

 duced wool of superior quality. "They are considered a native 

 breed — a black-faced or a brown or spotted face, horned 

 sheep, little subject to either rot or scab, clipping nearly two 

 pounds of fleece exclusive of»the breeching, which may be 

 taken at one-seventh or one-eighth part of the whole." On 

 Cannock Chase in Staffordshire was found a similar but some- 

 what larger, slow-maturing sheep, from which was descended some 



Fig. 253. Shropshire yearling ewes, prize winners at the 1859 show of the Royal 



Agricultural Society of England. Exhibited by J. Crane. From a photograph of 



an old English painting 



of the best Shropshire flocks of to-day. On Whittington Heath 

 in Shropshire a type similar to that of Cannock Chase also existed 

 and became amalgamated in the general improvement. The South- 

 down was used on these to secure quality, while the Leicester 

 and Cotswold blood were used to obtain size and fleece, and from 

 this combination, after a considerable process of selection, came 

 the modern Shropshire. The breed is comparatively recent in its 

 present character, though Alfred Mansell says the best character- 

 istics were present when the work of improvement was begun. 

 As late as 1858 Professor Tanner wrote i; "" Only a few years 



1 Henry Tanner, " The Agriculture of Shropshire,"/"""'- Royal Ag. Soc, 1858. 

 • R Digitized by Microsoft® 



