i906.] 



Cross-Breeding for Mutton. 



515 



Border- Leicester cross that the flesh is " sappy " and does not 

 keep well, but this is probably through associating this half- 

 bred white- faced sheep with the pure Leicester and other 

 white-faced breeds that carry so much fat. As a matter of fact 

 the Cheviot so satisfactorily corrects the inferior quality of the 

 flesh of the Border- Leicester as to make the cross one of the best 

 mutton carcases. For several years past the writer has fed 

 these first-cross Cheviot — Border-Leicester lambs on swedes, had 

 them, killed and dressed locally, and sent to one of the London 



Cheviot — Border-Leicester Cross Ewes (" Half-bred Ewes ")• 



wholesale meat markets, and they have invariably realized by 

 auction in the open market the top mutton prices. There can 

 be no better proof of the quality of these sheep, for the London 

 butchers must be allowed to be the best judges of what is most 

 saleable to their customers in the way of mutton. The follow- 

 ing figures give the average results for the past three winters of 

 feeding these sheep on turnips : — 



Weight of each hogg (teg) when placed on swedes ... ... = 97 lb. 



Gain per week for eleven weeks ~ 2^ 



Dressed weight, exclusive of loose fat, (52 per cent, of 124 lb ) = 64^ 



They received ^ lb. each per day of mixed linseed cake and 



T T 2 



