100 
Injiaence of Climate, ^-c, on Sheej). 
already referred to. The climate of this district varies in a 
marked degree from that of the mountains, the temperature 
being higher, and the fall of rain decreased, and ranging from 
30 to 45 inches annually. The soil is of better quality, and 
more abundant supplies of food are available. Under these 
more favourable circumstances it has been found highly remu- 
nerative, if not absolutely necessary for the profitable occupation 
of land, to have sheep which at 12 months old are of double the 
weight of the unimproved sheep at 3 or 4 years old. The unim- 
proved breeds from which all of this class have been produced 
were originally akin to our mountain breeds of the present time, 
but to attain this result we have so altered the formation of their 
bodies and their internal organisation, that we have rendered 
them unable to withstand such severities of climate and such 
privations as their unimproved ancestry had to undergo. By 
our hedges and other enclosures we have given protection from 
the force of the wind ; by drainage we have lessened the injurious 
influence of rain and raised the temperature of the soil ; and by 
more liberal feeding we have given the blood additional capa- 
bilities for maintaining the heat and growth of the body. But 
if we carry this modification further than is conducive to health, 
or if we remove the sheep from their legitimate district to one in 
which the climate is more severe, we find that they become 
sickly and unprofitable. As a rule, good progress has been 
made with our hill sheep without causing much detriment to 
their breeding powers and their supply of milk ; but, where we go 
too fast and get the flock too fine and tender, we soon have 
evidence of the fact by difficulties of various kinds which in- 
fluence their reproductive powers. So also the rapid production 
of meat has been very generally attended by a sacrifice of 
quality ; but, possibly, with a better knowledge of the character 
and constituents of rich juicy meat, and the conditions essential 
to its formation, we may be enabled to obtain more perfect meat 
at an early period of animal life. 
Leicester sheep — it may be observed in passing — present, in 
every point of character, just the opposite extremes to those of a 
genuine mountain sheep. Instead of wild and active habits 
they possess quiet and docile dispositions ; instead of light and 
hairy fleeces they yield a heavy class of wool of fine quality ; 
instead of a coarse head with horns they have a fine clean coun- 
tenance ; flat sides are in their case superseded by well-rounded 
ribs, and a narrow back gives place to one both broad and level, 
whilst instead of a deep and narrow chest and light quarters will 
be observed a broad chest and a heavy production of meat. But 
with all the beauty of the Leicesters their use as a pure breed 
must either be limited to districts possessing a favourable 
