572 = 306 Pi-actical Agriculture. 
hind legs are straight, and well muttoned down to the hocki 
the knees and feet should be large, the feet white, and the boi 
fine. A Herdwick should stand square and walk well. Tl 
ewes are not horned ; but the rams generally are, though Q| 
always ; the horns should be waxy and white, and, rising wi 
out of the head, curl once or twice. The mutton is very fine 
texture and flavour; but the wool, of short staple, is coarse 
open, and only somewhat better than that of the Black-fi 
Of late years it has been so improved as to be nearly free frt 
" kemps " or grey hairs, but it is still greyish in colour. 
The average dead-weight of four-year-old wethers, grazed onii 
fells, varies from about 12 lbs. to 15 lbs. per quarter; on betl 
pasturage they make 20 lbs. per quarter, and Show speciniQ 
up to 25 lbs. per quarter. A common average weight of fleece 
3 J lbs., though when there has been no overstocking, the avera 
of 4 lbs. is obtained ; and this has been exceeded in some cas 
These sheep climb and leap upon steep rocks, picking t 
shortest possible bites of herbage ; in which respect they s) 
pass the Black-faces. And it is to their credit that their natu 
feeding grounds are very inferior to those of the Lonks. 
Among the chief breeders are Mr. Edward Nelson, of Gat 
garth, Buttermere ; Mr. C. W. Wilson, of High Park, Kendi . 
Mr. George Browne, of Troutbeck, Windermere ; Mr. Willi; 
Leathes, of Lamplugh Hall, Cockermouth. 
Local breeds In the foregoing brief sketches I have included what I beli< ; 
not altogether are all the distinctive breeds of sheep in England and Wal ; 
but over large portions of many counties the breeding floe 
consist of old local races, improved by generations of crossi , 
— as, for example, in Norfolk and Suffolk, where Southdov; 
prevail in some districts, while in others the ewes are oi i 
strain improved by Southdown blood, but retaining some f 
the characteristics of the native sheep with black faces wh i 
are now rarely seen. 
superseded. 
Pigs. 
Ancient 
varieties of 
pigs. 
The prevailing English hog in very ancient times H 
undoubtedly a big, long-limbed, coarse-boned, low-shoulde)( 
narrow-backed animal, with huge flop ears and a coveringk 
strong bristles ; and the colour was mostly white, or blue-aN 
white, or black-and-white. Whether the smaller pointed or priH 
eared varieties have existed quite as long, though less cxtensi\y 
distributed, or were subsequently introduced, is an open qii- 
tion. But it is certain that great improvement in native Eng h 
breeds was effected by crossing with foreign pigs, more cspeci;iyt« 
Chinese and Neapolitan. 
