The various Breeds of Sheep in Great Britain. 223 
1st DrvisroN. — The Agricultural Characters of the Native 
Breeds of Sheep. 
The Louff- fVooUed Breeds. 
Lincolnshire. — This breed takes perhaps the first place amongst 
the native sheep of Great Britain, both as regards the weight of 
the animal and the size of its fleece. The sheep have no horns, 
white faces and legs, long flat-ribbed bodies, with coarse legs. 
They grow to a large size on the rich pasturage of the lowlands 
of Lincolnshire, and produce a heavy fleece, which originally 
constituted their chief value, the improvement of the carcase 
being generally less attended to by the breeders than the fleece. 
For many years a great rivalry existed between them and the 
improved Leicesters, on which breed probably more attention 
had been paid to the carcase than to the fleece. At length an 
union was established between them, and the produce, by a system 
of judicious breeding, exhibited the leading qualities of both 
breeds : the coarseness of the animal frame gradually disap- 
peared, the flesh was laid on more uniformly, maturity was 
advanced fully one year, less food was required, and an aptitude 
to fatten induced. The ewes were improved, and, when drafted 
for market, always carried a better condition and fetched more 
money than the old breed used to do ; the fleece was slightly 
diminished in weight, but was improved in quality. The sheep 
now are, by the improved system of turnip-husbandry, rendered 
fit for market as hogs (yearlings) ; they then weigh on the 
average 80 to 100 lbs. each ; if kept till they are older they be- 
come of a large size and not so suited for the markets. An 
instance may be given of 3 slaughtered, some few years since, 
aged respectively 3, 2, and 1 year, and weighing 386 lbs., 
364 lbs., and 284 lbs. The sheep kept on the higher and 
lighter soils (the Wolds) are, as might be expected, smaller in 
size both of carcase and fleece, but possess all the characters 
of the breed. These generally contain more Leicester blood. 
The fleece of the lowland sheep possesses a very long staple 
with a bright and glossy face, and weighs on the average 10 lbs., 
— some considerably exceed that weight. The upland fleece 
may be taken at 8 lbs. 
This breed is met with in some districts crossed with the 
Exmoor, the South Down, and the Bampton ; the usual cross, 
however, is with the Leicester. 
Leicesters. — It was about the middle of the last century when 
Mr. Bakewell of Dishley, in Leicestershire, began his experi- 
ments in the improvement of the breed of long-woolled sheep, at 
that time common to the midland counties. The old Leicesters 
