SHEEP. 



pir tod of 2S lbs. The advantage of the latter breed con- and five to the tod. The wool is finer and fhorter than 



fifts in being made fit for the butcher in lefs time : in this it the Lincolnfhire, and a portion of it is better fiiited for the 



excels all the other breeds before known. At the time hofiery trade than for thin goods, fuch as fhalloons, &c. ; 



when Mr. Robert Bakewell of Difhley, in Leicefterfhirc, but conlidering the difference of weiyht, the fleece is not 



direAed his attention to the improvement of rtieep, the fo profitable to the grower as that from the Luicohiftiire 



price of long wool was lefs than ^J. per pound : the fleece was fheep. 



hence of little value tu the grower, and Mr. Bakewell was There are two reafons for killing the wethers of the 



exclufively employed in improving the carcafe of fiieep, and Difliley breed at two years old : firll, they leave the mod 



all other domeftic quadrupeds. Previoufly to about the profit ; and, fvcondly, if kept longer, they grow too fat 



middle of the lall century, little attention was paid to the for genteel tables. It is very common for two-years old 



improvement of live-llotk, except horfes. Nothing could wethers to cut four inches thick of fat on the ribs, and 



be more repugnant to common fenfe than the general prac- from two to three inches all down the back. Even ewes of 



tice of farmers : they feleftcd for flaughtcr that part of this kind, which have bred and fuckled lambs till July, 



their flock which was moil difpofed to fatten, as offering when killed about the Chriftmas following, will frequently 



them an early profit ; the remainder were left to breed from meafure four or five inches thick of fat on the fides, and 



promifcuoufly. A confiderable part of England was then 

 uninclofcd, and the flocks of different proprietors being un- 

 avoidably intermixed, prevented a due regard to the im- 

 provement of the breed. Mr. Bakewell commenced hi; 

 improvements fublcquent to the year 1760, and fucceeded 

 in exciting the attention of the public to the amelioration 



two or three inches down the back, all the way from the 

 head to the tail ; and though flieep of this breed are not 

 eminent for much tallow, yet ewes, under fuch circum- 

 ilances, generally produce from 18 lbs. to 24 lbs. of tallow- 

 each. This mutton is not fo inviting as the leaner kinds, 

 but it finds a ready market among the manufafturing and 



of live-Hock, by fliewing the moll effeftual method of ac- laborious part of the community, 

 complifliing this important objedt. The principal objeft The gra/iers in different parts of England, who had been 



which Mr. Bakewell had in view, in his improvement of dif- too negligent refpefting the improvement of ilock, no 



ferent animals, except horfes, was to produce the greateft fooner became fenfible of the poffibility of forming a race of 



weight and value of flefli, with the fmalleft expence of flieep, that would produce a large weight of meat in a much 



food. fliorter time than before known, than they became defirous 



Availing himfelf of the obfervations which he had made of introducing the breed; and the talle for growing fat 



on different animals, that certain peculiarities of form were meat became generally adopted, and in many inllances 



always attended by a difpofition to grow fat, and that ani 

 mals inherit this difpofition from their anceftors ; and if 

 they are kept free from intermixtures witli other breeds, in 

 the courfe of a few generations the peculiar properties will 

 be perpetuated, and form a diffinft race ; the laws of animal 

 life being in this refpe6t regular and permanent. He, 

 therefore, felefted from his own flock, and from the flocks 

 of others, thofe (hcep to breed from, which poffelied in the 

 greatell degree that perfe6lion of form he was defirous to 

 attain and perpetuate By judicioufly croffing them, and 

 fclefting the moll perfeft of their progeny, he at length 

 fucceeded in forming tlie breed, whicii has been dillinguiflied 

 by the name of the new I>eicclter or Difliley breed ; and 

 having attained his objedl, he carefully guarded againit any 

 future intermixture with other breeds. This breed exceeds 

 all others in its propenfity to fatten ; and by croffing with 

 rams from tiiis breed, a very confiderable portion of the 

 long-wooUcd fliecp in England have been greatly improved 

 in this refpeft. 



The peculiar charafters of thcfe flieep have been well de- 

 fcribed by Mr. CuUey, an eminent grazier in Northumber- 

 land, who introduced the breed into that part of England. 

 " The Difliley breed are particularly dillinguiflied from 

 other long-woolled breeds, by their fine lively eyes, clean 

 heads, ftraight, broad, flat backs, round (barrel-like) 

 bodies, very fine fmall bones, thin pelts, and inclination to 

 fat at an early age. The lall property is probably owing 

 to the before-fpecified (jualities, which, from obfcrvaliDn 

 and experience, there ii rcafon to believe extends generally 

 through every fpecien of donicllic quadru])eds. The Difliley 

 breed is not only peculiar for its mutton being fat, but alio 

 for the finencfs of the grain : the flavour is fuperior to the 

 mutton of moll other long-woolled breeds. The weight of 

 the carcafe may be dated in general : ewes, three or four 

 years old, from 18 lbs. to 26 lbs. per quarter; wethers, 

 two years old, from 20 lbs. to 30 li)S." The fleece is dated 

 by Mr. Culley at '8 lbs. ; but in I.eiccderfliire, we believe, 

 the average weight is not more than 6 or 7 lbs., about four 



without proper regard to other confiderations. In fome in- 

 dances, fine-wooUed flocks were eroded with this breed, 

 and it was vainly expeiSted that they fliould prefervc the 

 quality of the wool, and increafe the carcafe at the fame 

 time. In other inllances, the Lciccderfliire breed were in- 

 troduced on land only fuited for a lighter race of flieep ; 

 and even where the paltures were fuitable, the propenfity to 

 fat was encouraged, until it became a difeafe, and the ani- 

 n.al was fcarcely able to move under its own weight. 

 Whatever the advocates of this breed may advance in its 

 fupport, it cannot be contended that the mutton is equal 

 in flavour to that of the fmaller flieep. 



The objeft of Mr. Bakewell was in thefe inllances mif. 

 taken : it was not to produce meat for the tables of the 

 rich, but to fupply fubltantial nourifliment for the working 

 clafles. We have licaid him lay, " a fmall quantity of this 

 fat meat, cooked over a large difli of potatoes, is a good 

 dinner for a poor man's family ; and this is what I propofcd 

 ill the feleftion of this breed." 



The increafcd demand for animal food could not have 

 been fupplied had not forne improvement taken place, and 

 the working clafles will ever prefer the fatted meal. In this 

 refpeft they refemble the North American Indians and the 

 back fettlerp, who regard fat as the only nutritious part 

 of meat, and accordingly Volney defcribes the lean by a 

 name which fignifics meal bread. The rage for exceflively 

 fat meat has in fome degree fubfided, and the new Eeicellers 

 are likely to be confined to thofe didritts which are pecu- 

 liarly fuited for their growth, and the objedl of the grazier 

 will be diredled to producing 3 large quantity of meat for 

 the confumption of the working dalles. Indead of at- 

 tempting to improve the fine-woolled breeds by erodes with 

 a heavy race, it would be more judic:ou8 to purine the 

 fame plan of improvement with thole breeds which Mr. 

 Bakewell attempted with (uch fucci fs in the heavy flieep. 

 The improvement of the carcafe may, we are con- 

 vinced, be cHeftcd without injuring the quality or diminllhing 

 the quantity of the wool. Of this Mr. Bakewell was well 



aware, 



