rural 
PRICK SIX CENTS 
8-1.50 PER YEAR. 
VOL. XXVI. NO. '25 
WHOLE NO. 1105. 
[Entered according to Act of Congress, In the year 1872, by 1). D. T. Moobb, In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.) 
“There can be no question that the original 
Lincolnshire sheep were ungainly animals 
and gross feeders, possessing but little ap¬ 
titude to fatten. When it was seen, how¬ 
ever, what a vast improvement had boon 
made in the Leicester sheep by Bakewell, 
the intelligent Linoonshire breeders deter¬ 
mined to follow in his footsteps; and, by 
a wise and judicious admixture of Leicester 
blood, they oreated an entirely new type 
of sheep, which retained the pre-eminent 
wool-bearing qualities of the old breed, and 
showed a marked improvement in form and 
in tjiolr aptitude to accumulate tlosh. Fore¬ 
most among these early improvers were the 
KiiIkhamh, Chaplins, Caswklijs, Dirn- 
niNox, and Clarkes, whose flocks oontjnne 
to fcold the highest rank up to the present 
day. The uneducated agriculturists of the 
past generation, however, for many years 
refused to take advantage of the skill dis¬ 
played by the pionoers in this great work 
of improvement; but finally they began 
to perceive the vast superiority of the 
new type, which soon became the one es¬ 
tablished breed of the country. 
“Of course the great change which wo 
now notice in the character of tho sheep 
was not otteotod until after many disap¬ 
pointments, and until years of skill and 
patience had been devoted to tho work. 
Fresh names were continually being added 
to the list of breeders, names which have 
since become famous — tho Marshalls, 
GREETHAMS, 1>AVY8, WlliGIITS, HOWARDS, 
(’AimvitionTs, Pears, Paddisons, Bat- 
tehsmys, Kemps, IIavercroits, V'esse vs, 
Roiunsons and Mayfields; and the result 
of the competition has been tho production 
of a sheep unequaled for wool and mutton 
combined. 
“ It was not until a quarter of a century 
ago that the value of tho improved Lincolns 
began to be acknowledged outside tho 
county. The grand appearance of tho 
sheep exhibited at tho Royal and other 
shows impressed visitors from tho colonies, 
who saw the benefit likely to bo derived 
leave our readers to form their own con¬ 
clusions. 
“ Upwards of a century ago Lincolnshire 
possessed an established breed of sheep, 
with long, bony logs and largo carcasses, 
and, according to EllaR, they carried more 
wool than any sheep whatsoever. Mil- 
hitrn speaks of them as having largo and 
coarse carcasses, tho length from head to 
tall being in some cases four feet six to 
seven inches. The ribs were llattUh and 
not covered very thickly with flesh; tho 
belly deep and the shoulders so forward as 
almost to hido the breast; tho neck thick 
and largo, with a deep and Hubby dewlap 
hanging from it; the skin thick, and the 
liesh often grained; tho hind quarters full 
and fat, tho tendency being to lay on fat at 
the rumps, and the legs fleshy and deep. 
The whole animal, continues Milhukn, 
appears to be somewhat unshapely, taking 
the standard of a go nnolsscur as a criterion, 
but the valuable wool which covers It hides 
all imperfections. 
L0NG-W00LED LINCOLN SHEEP, 
Our illustration of these sheep is copied 
from tho London Field, from whose article 
on this breed, accompanying the illustra¬ 
tion, we segregate what follows. Wo do 
this because we know there are some of 
these sheep in this country highly esteemed, 
and because those who do not know what 
is claimed for the breed in England kuow 
little about it. The writer in the Field says 
the improved Lincoln sheep, “takingalone 
into consideration the weight of the fleece, 
is unrivaled us a wool producer; and we 
shall endeavor to show that, for wool and 
mutton combined, it has no equal as a reni-- 
paying animal. It must bo understood 
that we write from a Lincoln breeder’s 
point of view, but our aim will be to con¬ 
fine ourselves strictly to facts, and thus 
wJamiJNm 
