240 The various Breeds of SIiQep in Great Britain. 
and spiral in their character than tliose of the fleeces clipped sub- 
sequently from the same sheep. The point of the staples of the 
fimt fleece of the animal possesses valuable properties for certain 
manufacturing purposes, which do not exist to the same extent 
in wetlicrs and ewes. In commercial parlance the term hogs is 
applied to the first shorn fleeces of the Ion?, deep-stapled kinds 
of wool, and tegs to a similar fleece of the siiorter stapled kinds : 
for instance, "Lincolnshire hogs" and " DoAvn tegs." 
In some districts, it is the custom of the farmers to clip their 
lambs in the first year, in which case the wool so clipped is called 
shorn lambs' wool, and is used for certain woollen purposes for 
which the peculiarity of its first growth renders it especially 
ap])licable. 
IVetJiers and Eices. — These terms are applied to the fleeces 
shorn from the same sheep subsequently to the liogs, the " wethers " 
being the second fleece shorn from the sheep : but this term is 
generally used to denote the r/eneral character of that kind of 
fleece, or, in other words, a healthy, sound, good fleece, whether 
actually the second fleece shorn or not. The term " ewes " is 
applied, in long-stapled wool, to the shorter, tender, and inferior 
fleeces which are generally shorn from old or diseased sheep ; 
and in short-stapled wools (such as Downs) it is applied to the 
shorter grown fleeces, generally both ewes and wethers. 
Careful and regular feeding of sheep is well known to have a 
great influence on the value of wool. As the general rule, what- 
ever keeps the animal in a healthy state promotes the regular 
growth of the wool, and thereby renders it more valuable for 
whatever purpose it may be applied. This may be perceived 
more clearly in the long-stapled kinds of wool, where the want 
of good or sufficient food is shown in the irregular growth of the 
wool, by which the staple is rendered tender at that part which 
was growing when the check to its supply of food took place. 
Climate, Locality, and Soil have also a most important in- 
fluence on the value of wool ; rendering some breeds peculiar to 
certain districts, and changing in a considerable degree the cha- 
racter of the wool upon sheep removed to a locality for which 
they are not adapted. Thus, sheep of a breed suitable for 
rich, warm plains, would not thrive so well if transferred to a 
bleak and mountainous district ; and the wool would Ijecome 
coarser at the end of the staples, which (though an effort of 
nature to adapt the warmth of the clothing of the animal to the 
more bleak locality to which it had been removed) would injure 
its value for manufacturing purposes. The influence of soil 
upon the value of wool may be seen in the different characters of 
Down wool as grown in the following counties : — In some parts 
of Norfolk it is much mixed with the blue sand of the district ; 
