560 = 294 
Practical Agriculture. 
are not at the present day renowned for length of staple or foi 
weight. It is of less value per pound than either the lustre 
'gget 
Leicester or Lincoln wool. Sometimes the weight of a ho 
fleece exceeds 14 lbs. ; but a good average clip, of which half is 
ewe wool, is about 9 lbs. per fleece. 
Weight and Cotswold sheep are grazed thinly upon the land ; nevertheless 
wool. Lawes' experiments, some years ago, they were found t( 
consume less food in producing a given amount of increase ir 
weight, and made greater progress in a given time, in comparisor 
with Downs. In the best flocks it is no unusual thing to sei 
12-month-old hoggets weighing 24 to 26 lbs. per quarter, dead 
weight ; and the average weight of wethers at 14 or 15 month 
old is 28 to 30 lbs. The weights to which old sheep may bi 
brought is very great. Thus, Mr. Robert Game fed a ram up ti 
86 lbs. per quarter ; and in the year 1865, Mr. Barton showec 
at Cirencester an 8-months-old wether hogget weighing 35 lbs 
per quarter. 
th"^*b '^d"^ The Cotswolds have not spread over many districts of England 
though they prevail in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, parts c 
Berkshire, Herefordshire, Wiltshire, Monmouthshire, and Scut 
Wales ; and highly successful flocks have been established i 
counties as far off as Norfolk. They are in large demand fo 
crossing, not only for producing graziers' lambs from Dow 
ewes, but also to confer noble dimensions and vigorous const; 
tutions upon many breeds at home and abroad, and are exporte 
for this purpose to America, to our Australian colonies, an 
to New Zealand, as well as to various European countrie 
Probably as many as 4000 rams are sold by auction every jea 
while a great number are disposed of by private contract. Tl 
principal fairs for this breed are Burford, Stow-on-the-WoL 
Marshfield, and Cirencester. 
Breeders. Among the most eminent breeders at the present time may 1 
named Mr. William Lane, of Broadfield ; Mr. Robert Game, • 
Aldworth ; Mr. G. Fletcher ; Mr. J. Walker ; Mr. S. Smith, ■ 
Somerton ; Mr. C. Barton, of Fifield ; Mr. Russell Swanwic 
of the Royal Agricultural College Farm, Cirencester ; M 
Thomas Brown, of Marham Hall, Downham Market, Norfolk. 
Kyland sheep. The Ryland breed of sheep, now very limited in extent, is nati' 
to the district of dry soil and sweet herbage around Ross, in Her 
fordshire ; but, with a few exceptional flocks in that localit 
it is now found only on the colder and stiffcr soils of that count 
and in parts of Monmouthshire, Gloucestershire, Shropshire, ai 
Warwickshire. The Rjland is a small, well-formed shee 
with white face and legs, and a tuft of wool on the foreheac, 
short legs ; broad loin ; and is noted for the fineness of 
wool. With the exception of the nose and feet, the whof 
.11 
i 
