SHEEP. 



aquarter, at two years and a half old, giving l libs, to I4lbs. 

 of wool each fheep, and being fat, they are indubitably 

 among the largell breeds in England. A finglc dip, con- 

 tinues he, of new Leicefter gives the Cotfvvolds a fulnefs in 

 the fore-quarter ; but any farther crofs of that kind, it ap- 

 pears, diminifhea their fize. The itrange crofs of Wilts 

 horned (keep has been recurred to in fome parts, for no pof- 

 fible good purpofe, he fhould apprehend, either to the car- 

 cafe or wool ; and it is probable, fuppofing fuch large ilock 

 profitable, that the chief alteration required by the Cotf- 

 wolds, it to encourage length of ftaple in their fleece or 

 wool. 



In this breed the ewes are ufually put to the tup, ib as to 

 have lambs at two years old, molUy producing two lambs 

 each, in the proportion of nearly one-third of the whole, 

 •where kept well, which mult always be done. They may 

 be kept for breeding till three or four years old, if they are 

 of the proper improved fort. But it is faid that the wethers 

 afford molt profit when killed fo early as at two years old, 

 as they are apt to become too fat when kept longer. 



The Cotfwolds or Gloucciters, and the half Leicefters 

 and half Gloucefters, and other mixtures of thefe breeds, 

 are confidered as very excellent forts of Iheep ilock in many 

 parts of Oxfordfhire ; they are of a good fize, bear plenty 

 of wool, and Hand penning well. But penning or folding 

 is not thought benefici-il by fome farmers, as more and better 

 fheep may be kept without it. 



The native Cotfwolds, if they are any where to be found, 

 would be, it is faid, at two-ihcar from twenty -eight to 

 thirty-two pounds the quarter : they are along fort of (heep, 

 not full in the fides, fiiarp in the chine, not full in the fore- 

 flank, coarfe in the bone, not ftraight but good in the hind- 

 quarters ; will not fatten fo early as when crolied ; and of 

 wool, the two-ihear wether affords three and a iialf fleeces 

 to the tod. The new Leicefter, it is contended, is calcu- 

 lated to correft every one of the deficiencies which have 

 been noticed, and to bring a skater difpofition to fatten. 

 Between all Cotfwold and all Leicefter, the average differ- 

 ence of wool, it is faid, is three pounds. 



In Devondiire, fome, it is faid, have fucceeded in the crofs 

 of new Leicefter upon the Cotfwold, the equal breed of 

 ■which is attempted to be preferved as much as pofTible. 

 Wethers of this kind, at eighteen months old, will average 

 nineteen pounds the quarter, and feven pounds of unwaflied 

 wool the fleece. When kept on for another twelvemonth, 

 the age at which they are moitly killed in this county, this 

 crofs will attain the fize of twenty-five pounds the quarter, 

 and yield nine pounds of wool to the fleece. This wool is 

 allowed by the ftaplers to be one penny the pound fuperior 

 Xo that of the Exmoor, Bampton, South Devon, and 

 Dartmoor fheep, yet ftill the common price of lo;/. the 

 pound is only allowed for it. In the young wethers of this 

 breed, the loofe fat is ftated to be nine pounds, with nearly 

 three pounds of kidney fat on each iide. The larger wethers 

 are faid to produce thirteen pounds of rough fat, and four 

 pounds of kidney fat on the fide. 



Rommy-Marjh Breeder Variety. — This is a kind which is 

 defcribed by Mr. Young, as being a breed of (heep without 

 horns ; white faces and legs ; rather long in the leg? ; good 

 fize ; body rather long, but v.ell barrel-ihaped ; bones rather 

 large ; and it is faid that the weight per quarter, in fat 

 wethers at two years old, is ufually from 22lbs. to 281bs. 

 In refpeft to the wool, it is fine, long, and of a dehcate 

 white colour, when in its perfeft ftate. On this Marfh 2olbs. 

 of wool are fuppofed to be produced per acre. In this breed 

 there is a property of arriving at the ftate of fatnefs at an 

 early age, as well as that of producing a large fleece of fine 



long combing wool, of courfe it is a valuable fort ; how- 

 ever, from the fize, and great weight of the coat, it is only 

 capable of being fupported and fattened on the rich kinds of 

 marfh pafture : and on thofe which extend from Haftings 

 to Rye, in Kent, according to the Suffex Agricultural 

 Report, the graziers find it much more beneficial than the 

 South Down ; the marfh wethers fattening more quickly. 

 The wool afforded by fuch fat wethers averaging fix pounds, 

 and in breeding ewes five pounds, but not equal in quality 

 to the wool clipped from fhearlings. And the author of the 

 " Synopfisof Hufbandry" remarks, that a convincing proof 

 of the great value of this breed of (heep, as well as of the 

 land on which they are fgd, is feen in the manner of ftock- 

 ing, which in tegs is from four to feven per acre, in fatten- 

 ing wethers from fix to eight, in barrens from two to three, 

 and in couples three ; which is certainly a great (lock. 

 And this is a breed that might probably undergo much im- 

 provement without crolfing, by proper care and attention, 

 and being lefs expofed in the winter feafon. 



In the old Romncy-Mar(h breed, the flieep were remark- 

 able for having large heads ; for being large, long, and tub- 

 bellied ; alfo for being large in their bone, long in their 

 legs, and coarfe in their wool ; which form is ftill held in 

 eftimation by fome, in confequence of improper prejudices, 

 to the great injury of the grazier and community in gen?ral ; 

 but the pure breed of this lort, Mr. Price fays, is diftinguiflied 

 by a thicknefs and length of head, a broad forehead, with a 

 tuft of wool upon it, a long thick neck, a great length and 

 thicknefs of carcafe ; being flat-fided, and having a (harp 

 chine, tolerably wide on the loin, but the breaft narrow, 

 not deep, the fore-quarter not heavy or full, a good cleft ; 

 the thigh full and broad, the belly large and tubby ; the 

 tail thick, long, and coarfe, the legs thick with large feet, 

 the mufcle coarfe and the bone large ; the wool long and 

 not fine ; coarfeil on the breech : the (heep prove good, and 

 are great favourites with the butchers. But this defcription 

 is not now, it is faid, fo applicable as it was fome time ago, 

 when moll of them had horns. 



The fame writer, in his account of the (heep management 

 in this marflt diftrict, has remarked, that the introduAion of 

 the Leicefter breed has very perceptibly altered the form 

 and properties of the original breed or ftock of this traft, 

 fo that in a few years it will fcarcely be difcernible. And 

 that it is probably the general opinion that it has been inju- 

 rious to it, in reducing the fize and value of the animal, as 

 well as the quality and quantity of its wool, though it has 

 ftill many advocates, and has certainly contributed much to 

 its improvement. The principal objeilions which the graziers 

 of this Marfh feem to have to the mixing of the Leicefters 

 with their own breed, are, that they have feldom or ever twin 

 lambs, which are very defirable and beneficial in this fitua- 

 tion ; that the lambs are more tender, and, of courfe, a 

 greater lofs liable to be fuftained, efpecially in an open ex- 

 pofed tradl of this fort ; that their lambs do not winter fo 

 well as thofe of the native breed upon the uplands : they 

 are much lefs hardy, confequently cannot ftand cold and hard- 

 (hips fo well, which is very difadvantsgeous ; that their wool 

 is not in fuch abundance, or fo valuable, which is a great 

 defeft ; that there is a want of proof in them, which renders 

 them a great deal lefs faleable to the butcher ; this may, 

 however, be no dlfadvantage to the breeder or grazier, as it 

 (hews other more valuable properties and difpofitions ; and 

 that they are too (hort in their bodies and legs, fo as to ftand 

 too low in their pens at the market. Thefe are, however, 

 probably improved valuable properties, which mull be rather 

 beneficial than hurtful. Some improvement has, liowever, 

 been given to the Mar(h breed by the Leicefter crofs, as 



thofe 



