344 
IFool in Relation to Science with Practice. 
tion of coarse " kempy " Breech wool. As wool became of more 
and more importance, careful selection of both sexes remedied 
defects, and we inherit the improved as distinguished from the 
pure-bred Leicester. Experience in these matters is costly, but 
it is the best guide. A great objection to half-bred flocks is the 
loss in the wool of the breeding ewes : he speaks of wool improved 
by climate and keep. 
Compared with the Lincoln Leicester, the improved Leicester 
is a rapid feeder : wool now-a-days is of quite as much import- 
ance as mutton. 
Mr. Barroby said : " I will give the prices my wool has made 
since 1863, and leave you to judge as to the merits of my sheep ^ 
as wool producers ; the average weight for the twelve years being 
8^ lbs., and about 1^ hogg to a ewe on the average. In 1863 they 
were Is. Ud.; in 1864, 25. Ud.; 1865, 2s. M.; 1866, 25.; 1867, 
1868, and 1869, 2s.; 1870, 1 5^1 IrZ. ; 1871, 25. lit/.; 1872, 2s. Id.; 
and 1873, 2s. '2d. I have not heard of any fanciers of the Lincoln 
cross being able to show any better return on their wool account, 
and I may add that during these twelve years my father first, 
and afterwards I myself, took many prizes for wool at both the 
Royal and the Yorkshire shows, having to compete with both 
the Lincoln and Leicester cross, and the pure (or as I term them 
" showyard ") Leicester. The Lincoln cross requires both judg- 
ment, consideration, and caution. To sum up, I prefer the im- 
proved Leicester to all the other breeds, because you can get 
them off sooner, then fill their places up with sheep bought in, 
and so turn your capital." Mr. Barroby entered upon the feeding 
of sheep, so as to produce the most wool and mutton in the least 
time. He said: " About the last week in June in my district, the 
lambs should be weaned. My practice is to have winter-sown 
tares, on which I put the lambs : the lambs should be allowed 
about a quarter of a pound of corn and a quarter of a pound 
of mixed cotton and oil-cake per day at first, with hay or straw. 
After the tares, I put them on either clover or grass fog, and 
follow up with either rape or early soft turnips. About the 
second week in September, as soon as the lambs begin swedes, 
they should be cut for them. By gradually increasing the 
quantity of corn and cake to a half pound of each per day and 
plenty of cut turnips, you can send most of your hoggs to market, 
after clipping them, in April. About seventy or seventy-five 
per cent, should go then if the season has been favourable, and 
although the wool may not be quite so good in the lustre as that 
clipped about the third week in May, still the good keep makes 
fleeces heavy and better grown." * 
* Mr. Barroby, a neighbour of mine, lias kindly revised this note. 
