452 Breeds of Sheep best adapted to different Localities. 



of the country they inhabit,* the Cheviots being found on rocky 

 and lofty hills, covered with heath, but with a soil tolerably rich 

 formed from the decay of trap and other decomposed Plutonic 

 rocks, which with the moisture of the climate* affords a not incon- 

 siderable amount of nutritious herbage, often a much greater 

 weight of herbage per acre than is found on the dry downs of the 

 south of England; with the Cotswold, though on a different 

 geological formation, the same general remark holds good. The 

 Cotswold hills vary greatly in the character of their soils, having 

 generally, however, much more moisture than down land ; being 

 composed of the following strata, viz., lower lias shales, lias marl- 

 stone, upper lias shales, inferior oolite, fuller's earth, stonesfield 

 slate, and ragstone, and beds of clay. At several of the outcrops of 

 the impervious argillaceous beds, numerous small land-springs are 

 formed, which keep what would be the otherwise arid calcareous 

 and arenaceous soils tolerably moist, and consequently yielding a 

 considerable amount of rough herbage adapted to the breed of 

 sheep found in the district. It must, however, be remembered that 

 although the herbage is abundant it is not equally nutritious, and, 

 consequently, imposes on the animal a considerable amount of 

 exercise, which, by a natural reaction, causes an increased develop- 

 ment of lung, which last property depreciates the early fat-forming 

 propensity. We cannot, therefore, ever expect to obtain a breed 

 of sheep which will possess the hardihood of the Herd wick with the 

 early fattening property of the new Leicester, neither can we ex- 

 pect the fine felting property of the Saxon merino with the long 

 staple of the new Leicester wool ; all that we can do is to select 

 each kind for the locality to which its physiological condition and 

 general habits best adapt it : these will be the new Leicester for 

 rich pastures, and also those of moderate fertility in moist cli- 

 mates : it is also the breed especially adapted for that part of 

 arable husbandry which consists in consuming root crops, such as 

 turnips, rape, &c, on the ground. The Southdown is particu- 

 larly well suited to dry exposed downs — their natural dwelling 

 place. They will also do well on good pastures, but will not make 

 a proportional money return equal to the new Leicester, par- 

 ticularly since the change that has taken place in the wool market ; 

 if, however, down flockowners would only produce a wool such 

 as has been already described, there can be little doubt but they 

 would be made to rival if not to exceed the new Leicesters in the 

 money return. A heavy fleece like the Leicester must not be 



* On the lower Silurian Rocks of Denbighshire, known as Mudstones, the Cheviots 

 are found to do well by Colonel Myddleton Biddulph of Chirk Castle, and H. R. 

 Sandbach, Esq., of Hafodunos. We doubt, however, whether they would do well on 

 the arenaceous 'grey wacke soils of the Upper Berwins, and the slate clay alpine summits 

 of Caernarvonshire. 



