60 
THE SHEEP. 
THE OLD LINCOLN BREED. 
the older breed contended for its greater hardiness, its better adaptation to the rich pastures of the country, the enormous weight 
to which individuals could be raised, and, above all, their unrivalled fleece. On the other hand, the earlier maturity, and the 
greater aptitude to fatten, of the new breed, were considerations urged by those who favoured the system of crossing which had 
been resorted to; and it was contended, that, although the weight of individual fleeces was diminished, the value of wool produced 
on the acre was increased, from the greater number of animals that could be maintained on the same space * 
The claims of the modern breed in the end prevailed, and the remarkable old race of the fens was by degrees displaced, or 
mixed largely in blood with, the new variety. The breeders of Lincolnshire doubtless consulted their immediate interests in avail¬ 
ing themselves of the improved stock of Bakewell, to give at once those qualities to their own in which it was deficient; but at 
the same time, great regret may now be entertained, that the native breed had not rather been improved by an application of the 
principle of selection, than destroyed in its distinctive characters by indiscriminate crossing. The wool of the true Old Lincoln 
breed was altogether peculiar, and such as no country in Europe could produce. That ol the New Leicester breed is shorter and 
finer, but it wants the toughness, softness, and length of fibre which distinguish the other, and which, could it now be obtained, 
could be used with great advantage in various worsted manufactures. It cannot be doubted, that the same principles of breeding 
which enabled Mr Bakewell to form a new breed, could have been applied by the Lincolnshire breeders to remove the defects 
of the native race, and call forth its useful properties. 
But although the Old Lincoln breed is now almost extinct in the pure state, the breed of mixed lineage which has succeeded 
to it in the countries of the fens often retains much of its peculiarities. In this rich district are yet to be found the largest sheep 
of the Island, and it is believed of Europe, with fleeces superior in weight and value to any other. They do not fatten so quickly 
as the New Leicesters, but they arrive at great weight, and pay the graziers well, on the fertile pastures which are propei to them. 
The wethers are frequently killed at the enormous weight of 50 or 60 lb. the quarter. Great numbers of these vast sheep may be 
seen pasturing on the rich flats on the Thames, for the supply of the London market. The mutton may not be sufficiently delicate 
for the palates of the opulent, but for the supplies of the large population of labourers in our great cities, who aie contented with 
wholesome, nourishing, and cheap food, the mutton of the countries of the fens is as much valued as any othei in the kingdom 
It is of national as well as private concern, therefore, that the modern Lincoln breed should be preserved; and he would mei it 
well of the country who should devote attention to its improvement. 
* A correspondence on this subject, in the year 1788, has been preserved, between Mr Chaplin, a distinguished breeder of the Old Lincolns, and Mr 
Bakewell of Dishley, which is curious, as showing the angry feelings of the time, and bringing before us, and in his own words, one so distinguished for what 
he has done, and so little known by any thing he has written,—Mr Bakewell. It had been proposed, it seems, that a show of rains should take place at 
Partney, for the purpose of comparing together the old and new breeds. Mr Bakewell had declined allowing his rams to be seen until they were sorted, as it 
is termed, but appears to have thought that there would be no great harm in taking a peep at his rival’s, even in their state of disorder.. Mr Chaplin resenting 
the proceeding, thus addresses his wily opponent“ The extraordinary art made use of in the exhibition of your stock at Dishley, points out, m the strongest 
manner, the impropriety of showing it in a disorderly state ; and after refusal on the 21st instant to let you see my sheep before they were collected and sorted 
at home, I did not expect to hear of your meanly sneaking into my pastures, at Wrangle, on the 24th, with two other people, driving my sleep into tie o , 
and examining them. Such unwarrantable conduct can only be accounted for by your great anxiety about the show of rams at Partney, near Spilsby, on the 
18th of September, which was proposed for the purpose of making the comparison between those bred from your sheep and the original breed of this county. 
The small sheep that have no cross of the Durham kind, which you have had the address to impose upon the world, without size, without length and without 
wool, I have always held to be unprofitable animals ; but that I may not appear to be too tenacious of my own opinion, I hope you will produce t lem at ar - 
ney, on the 18th September next, to meet the Lincolnshire sheep, where there will be many better judges than ourselves to decide on their merits.’ 
The reply is characteristic. “ On my return home on Tuesday last, I saw your letter addressed to me of the 26th of August, m the Leicester paper o re 
6th instant, in which you are pleased to notice the extraordinary art made use of in the exhibition of the stock at Dishley; which you have seen at severa 
different times. Surely you cannot say you have observed any unfair practices, or that you was ever denied seeing what was not engaged for the season, on 
account of their not being sorted, or being in a disorderly state. At Horncastle, on Thursday the 21st of August, I asked you if I might see your rams near 
Saltfleet. You did not say I should not, but that they were not sorted, and that when they were you would be glad to see me at Tathwell. I did not go o 
Saltfleet, but into the marshes, near Skegness ; and from thence, on the Saturday afternoon following, to Wrangle; the next day, Sunday the 24th, to reeston, 
where I met with two graziers, with whom I had not any acquaintance till that day. They proposed on Monday to go to Skegness, and asked me if 1 thougit 
they could see your rams. I told them I was informed on my way to and at Wrangle, that they might. We set. forward together, and called at tie inn at 
Wrangle, which I came from the day before, and there passed what you are pleased to term, my ‘ meanly sneaking into your pastures on the 24th ’ We as ed 
a young man if you had any rams there, he informed us you had. ‘ Where are they ?’ ‘ In the close next the house.’ ‘ May we see them ?’ ‘Yes. ‘Who 
would show them ?’ ‘ I will’ From which we supposed he had frequently shown them to others. We then alighted and went into the close; he opene t le 
pen-gate, and we assisted him in driving them in, about fourteen in number. The age or breed of any of them I do not know. From thence we went to the 
person who has the care of your rams, about a mile and a half nearer Skegness, and asked if we could see them; he refused us, saying he had received orders 
by a letter from you not to show them to any one. He was then asked if they had not been shown before. He answered they had. ‘ When did he receive 
the order not to show them ?’ ‘ On Saturday night last.’ Had we known this before, we should not have been guilty of what you term, ‘ such unwarrantable 
conduct.’ I have long made it a rule not to find fault with another person’s stock. Why should you be.so severe upon mine ? And I now take the ibei y o 
requestino- you to explain what you mean ‘ by sheep without size, without length, and without wool, which you say I have had the. a ress to p p 
world; and of informing you that I am fully persuaded there are ten rams without a cross of the Durham, or any other kind, let for a thousand guineas more 
this season than the same number of the ‘ true Old Lincolnshire breed, of the long staple,’ some of these at the highest prices, into the counties ot Linco n and 
Nottingham; and to breeders, many of whom have used the Dishley sort of sheep for upwards of twenty years, and who have agreed for some, and otter ugier 
prices for others, for future seasons, than they have yet given, and may surely be supposed capable of knowing the value of wliat ‘you have always held to be 
unprofitable animals.’ Did they not find their interest in so doing, would they persevere ? The address must be extraordinary, indeed, that could impose upon 
them against their interest and so long experience.” 
