SHEEP. 221 
pure Ross alone would have been worth more, but it 
went with the rest. 
At Lea Castle, Mr. Knight keeps a considerable 
flock of sheep, and has kept two sorts for comparison, 
Leicester and Southdown ; of both sorts about 130 
breeding ewes, and the whole flock, July, 1807, in¬ 
cluding lambs, was about 500. Mr. Knight is partial 
to the Southdown ; but his steward, thinks the Lei¬ 
cester, not only the heaviest, when fat, but generally, 
when kept together, in best condition, and that they 
will bear being stocked as many upon an acre as the 
other ; he believes the Southdown to be rather the most 
prolific, but thinks even this depends a good deal upon 
the rams used ; value of the wool per fleece, upon the 
average, nearly equal, or rather in favour of the Lei¬ 
cester ; thus 6lb. of Leicester wool, per fleece, at Is. 2d. 
7s. ; Sib. of Southdown, at 2s. 6s. ; but this will de¬ 
pend upon the price of the different sorts of wool. 
Mr. Knight intends to fix in fine woolled sheep. 
Southdown, Ryeland, Merino, and crosses. His stew¬ 
ard was gone, September 29 , 1S07, to meet a jobber, 
to purchase from him some Ross ewes; the pure Ross 
breed is said to be nearly extinct; he has now a Merino 
ram, boughtof Lord Somerville, of very fine wool, which 
has got some good looking stock from the Southdown 
ewes; also a Southdown ram, bought from the Duke 
of Bedford at Woburn, at 40 guineas, and another of 
the same breed, bought at SO guineas; believes he 
shall be able to keep 400 ewes and 100 theaves, 
which he supposes may produce 500 lambs, which 
he intends to sell to the butcher, or as stores in 
autumn, except about 50 ram lambs for wethers and 
stock, and 100 ewe lambs for succession; 100 of the 
aged 
