CHAPTER LVIII 



THE LINCOLN 



The native home of Lincoln sheep is in the county of Lincoln 



on the east coast of England by the North Sea. Lincolnshire is 

 next to the largest county in England, embracing an area of 

 2638 square miles. The city of Lincoln, with a population of about 

 50,000, is the county seat. The land is slightly hilly in places, 

 but much of eastern Lincolnshire lies flat and low, even below 

 sea level, the water being kept back by embankments as in 

 Holland. The soil is naturally fertile, and the lowlands provide 

 rich pastures. The small cereals, roots, and grasses are staple 

 crops. This county is noted for its Lincolnshire Red Shorthorns 

 and Lincoln sheep. The climate is moist and fairly temperate, 

 though in winter the winds from the North Sea make the weather 

 conditions somewhat rough. 



The origin of the Lincoln dates back very many years. There 

 had long existed in Lincolnshire a large, coarse type of sheep, 

 much like the old Leicester, with white face and legs, heavy head, 

 large neck, and prominent dewlap, long and hollow of back, with 

 flat ribs but good loin and deep belly. The skin was especially 

 thick, the fleece long and coarse, the size very large, and the flesh 

 coarse and inferior. This old-fashioned type was improved by 

 the use of Leicester rams of the new sort, such as Bakewell had 

 produced. According to Youatt^ the Lincolnshire ewe was bred 

 to the Leicester rara, and the progeny showed much of the 

 excellence of the sire. What became known as the improved 

 Lincoln matured fully a year earlier, weighed more for its age 

 than the old Lincoln, and established a superior reputation, being 

 much in demand. This work of improvement occurred late in 

 the eighteenth century. Much jealousy existed between Leicester 

 and Lincoln breeders in those early days. The story is told that 

 Bakewell, the great improver of the Leicester, in 1788 challenged 



1 Sheep: their Breeds, Management, and Diseases. London, 1837. 



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