222 REVIEW — REPORT OF THE FARMING OF CORNWALL. 
bourhood. These rams were crossed with Mr. Peters’s flock ge- 
nerally, until the year 1814, when he again introduced the new 
Leicesters from Mr. Creswelfs flock in Ashby-de-la-Zouch. Mr. 
Peters’s system of breeding appears to have been a continual chang- 
ing of blood; for either in 1816 or 1818 he again crossed his flock 
with the Gloucester variety, the effect of which was far from being 
satisfactory to the farmers, or probably to himself ; for we find, 
from the documents furnished us, that in the course of three or 
four years afterwards he again introduced the improved Leices- 
ters from Mr. Champion’s flock, of Nottingham. This last cross 
proved to be the most successful one he ever made. From this 
time, down to the period of his sale in 1841, he twice introduced 
fresh blood from the Dishley stock, and once from the Gloucester 
variety, without any improvement. When we consider that dur- 
ing this time Mr. Peters was the only person who held public sales 
for the letting and selling of rams in the county, we may safely 
conclude that the Cornish flock at the present time possesses more 
or less of the Cots wold blood. Other farmers have introduced the 
pure Leicester blood within the last ten years from Devonshire, 
and from both Mr. Buckley’s and Mr. Burgess’s flocks, with con- 
siderable success. Among these we should mention Mr. George 
Bullmore, of Newlyn; Mr. Doble, of Probus ; and Mr. Hodge, of 
Perranzabuloe — the last two individuals being the principal stock- 
breeders of the county. 
“ The saving in the cost of production through the early maturity, 
improvement of fleece, and of form generally, is more than 50 per 
cent. The old breed were kept from two years to two years and 
a half before sold, and the best of them did not exceed from 10 lbs. 
to 12 lbs. per quarter. They are now sold at one year and one 
year and a half old, averaging from 18 to 24 lbs. per quarter. We 
have a few flocks of South Downs kept on some gentlemen’s parks; 
and between the rivers Fowey and Tamar there is a breed found 
with tawny faces and legs — evidently of the South Hams variety; 
but these last have undergone great improvement by crossing with 
the Leicester blood, as they will fatten at one year and a quarter 
old to 20 lbs. per quarter. The Cornish farmers pay great atten- 
tion to the wool, preferring breeding from the heaviest fleece, which 
affords a very desirable protection to their sheep on our exposed 
districts. The average weight of fleece is from 7^ to 9 lbs.* To 
* “ The wool in Cornwall is never washed on the sheep’s back previous to 
clipping, but invariably sold in the yolk. This makes a difference in the price 
of wool, where washing is practised, of 25 per cent., the adding of which to the 
Cornish prices will make the rateable value of the washed wools of other 
counties. 
“ We have been furnished with a list of prices of Cornish wool between the 
years 1830 and 1844; — the average is 9f<#. per lb. during that time. 
