118 
The  honk. 
tried.  Hampshires  and  Oxfords  have  also  been  used  and  their 
progeny  come  out  well. 
The  produce  from  the  Hampshire  cross  readily  fatten  and 
are  ready  for  the  butcher  by  June. 
The  following  is  taken  from  the  judge’s  report  of  the  farm 
competition  in  this  journal  for  the  year  1883. 
“ A flock  of  fifty  Lonk  ewes  had  sixty-four  lambs  by  an  Oxford  down  ram. 
This  seemed  to  the  judges  to  be  the  greatest  success  in  crossing  that  they 
found  anywhere.  The  second  cross  were  really  fine  sheep  and  had  much  of  the 
Oxford  down  character.  The  best  of  the  single  lambs  had  been  fattened.  . . .” 
This  refers  to  Lowland  shepherding,  as  do  all  the  successful 
crosses  spoken  of.  When  the  Lonk  or  her  progeny  is  wanted 
for  the  fell,  to  graze  on  heaths  and  very  scanty  grass,  no 
outside  blood  has  proved  a success. 
Shows  and  Fairs. 
The  following  are  the  Agricultural  Societies  which  have 
classes  for  Lonks  : — 
The  Royal  Agricultural  Society  of  England,  the  Royal 
Lancashire,  Worsthorne,  Hebden  Bridge,  Newchurch,  Colne, 
Keighley,  Chorley,  Whalley,  Whitworth,  Cliviger,  Crawshaw- 
booth,  Saddleworth  and  Wardle. 
Fairs. — Todmorden,  Lundbutts,  Moses  Hall,  Marsden, 
Meltham,  Hayfield,  Glossop,  Holmfirth,  Buxton,  Whalley 
Bridge,  Worsthorne,  Woodhead,  Penistone,  and  Haslingden, 
are  the  principal  centres  for  the  disposal  of  the  breed. 
The  Lonk  Breeders  Association,'  which  was  started  in  1905, 
holds  an  annual  sale  of  pedigree  sires  at  Holme. 
Such  then  is  the  story  of  the  Lonk.  They  live  and  die 
knowing  nothing  of  a turnip,  for  throughout  the  Lonk  district 
roots  are  seldom  seen.  This  district  comprises  the  wet  hills 
of  Roburndale,  Trough  of  Rowland,  Slaidburn,  Newton,  in  the 
West  Riding  of  Yorkshire  ; Pendle  Hill,  the  hills  about  Darwen, 
Haslingden,  Bacup  and  Rochdale,  Burnley,  Worsthorne,  and 
Colne,  in  East  Lancashire  ; the  hills  above  Keighley,  Bradford, 
Halifax,  Dewsbury,  Huddersfield,  Saddleworth,  Barnsley,  and 
Penistone,  in  South  West  Yorkshire ; also  the  hills  above 
Buxton,  Bakewell,  and  Chesterfield,  in  North  Derbyshire,  and 
in  some  parts  of  Cheshire.  These  hills  have  a scanty  covering 
of  bent  and  ling,  and  vary  in  height  from  800  to  1,900  feet. 
Such  even  now  is  the  home  of  the  Lonk,  where  for 
' centuries  he  is  believed  to  have  led  his  hardy  life.  So  runs 
tradition  : and  tradition,  vague  and  faint,  forms  his  sole 
history.  Youatt  does  not  mention  him,  and  Culley  confuses 
him  with  the  “ Blackface.” 
W.  Ralph  Peel. 
Knowlmere,  Clitheroe. 
' Secretary,  J.  C.  Ashworth,  Overtown,  Cliviger,  Burnley. 
