Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 18.djvu/84

* SHEEP. 64 SHEEP. fattening qualities and earlier maturity. Bake- well made no attempt to improve the wool, and the pure-bred stock tends to produce a very fat mutton, which is not now in demand. The great value of tlic breed lies in its use for crossing juirposes. The Border Leicesters, regarded as a .separate breed, dill'er from the Leicesters chiefly in the shape of the head, which is bald, the Leicesters usually having a tuft of wool on the head. The Lincoln resembles the Leicester in general form and might almost be mistaken for it, although it is larger, being the heaviest sheep in the British Isles. The bright, lustrous wool, which masses in characteristic flakes or strands, is extraordinarily long, samples measuring 21 inches. The breed is the product of Leicester crosses upon the old Lincoln stock. As a mut- ton sheep it is considered by many inferior to the Down breeds, but for crossing purposes it is in great demand, especially on the sheep ranges of the Northwest United States. The Cotswold, one of the most ancient, best known, and most popular of the recognized English breeds, orig- inated on the bleak hills and uplands, where it developed a hardihood and an ability to 'rustle' less evident in other long-wooled breeds. The head is wedge-shaped, without horns, the face covered with white hairs, the lips black, the ears long and penilulous, and the forehead cov- ered with a flowing top-knot — one of the most characteristic features of the face. The fleece is long and heavy, although inferior in both respects to that of the" Lincolns. The breed has been used in establishing several cross-breeds. The Black- faced sheep and the Herdwicks are mountain breeds, often horned, having long, rather coarse or hairy wool. They are not, however, commonly classed with the long-wooled breeds. The medium-wooled breeds include the Down sheep, which inhabit the chalk hills of South- ern England, the Shropshires, and the Dorset Horned. All except the last are hornless, and the face in several breeds is dark brown to black. The Southdown, or Sussex, one of the purest of the English breeds, antedates William the Conqueror. It has been developed by se- lection and not by crossing with other breeds, and has been used to improve the dark-faced Down breeds. The horns, which it originally had, have long since disappeared. It has fine short wool, which extends to the forehead and face, and has long been renowned for its mutton, which is close- grained, tender, dark, and juicy. It is a rather small sheep, but its size has been increased by selection. On account of its beauty and high- bred a]i|iparanee, it is a favorite for country estates and parks, especially in England. The Shropshire is a cross-bred sheep. The original stock was small, horned, and had a black, brown, or spotted face. The improvement consisted in crossing with the Leicesters, the Cotswolds, and the Southdowns. The breed to-day is a striking illustration of the stage of perfection which can be attained by judicious crossing and selection. The carcass is large, covered with a dense elas- tic fleece of good length and medium fineness; the face is rich brown, and the head covered with a close-fitting cap of wool. The breed is a very popular one, and readily adapts itself to various climates and scanty pastures. The Improved Hampshire Down is the heaviest of all the Down breeds, the Oxfordshire DoAvns vying with it in this respect. The face is dark, the lips black, the cars rather long, often falling slightly forward; the shanks rich dark brown; the fleece white, thick, covering the top of the liead, and made up of fine strong fibres. The animals mature early, and the lambs make very rapid growth and fatten early. They respond to good feeding and stand close folding, being in their native country very often hurdled upon pasture crops. The Oxfordshire Down originated about 1833 by crossing the Cotswold on the Hampshire Down, and was known prior to 1859 as the Down-Cots- wold. By careful breeding it has become a distinct race. These sheep have dark-brown faces, long, thin ears, and a comparatively close fleece, the wool, which covers the head, being longer and more flowing than upon the Shrop- shire, which it resembles somewhat closely. The •Suflolk Downs resenflile the preceding, but have very black faces and lack wool between the ears. They were derived from the small and hardy horned Norfolk and Sufi'olk sheep, and have been greatly improved by the South- down. The Dorset, or Dorset Horned, an English breed, is a survival of a white-faced, horned, short-wooled race, which has descended unmixed from a remote period. It is rather larger and longer in the legs than the Southdown. These sheep are unusually prolific and produce their young so early that the lambs may be sent to market before those of most other breeds. They are hardy, quiet, good feeders, and readily adapt themselves to new conditions. The Cheviot is an ancient, white-faced, hornless, short-wooled sheep, reared in the Cheviot hills and belonging to the mountain breeds, in which class it is un- excelled. It contrasts strongly with the sheep of the downs, having a longer body and rather light fore quarter — true also of most other mountain breeds. The foundation of the present fine-wooled sheep of all countries is the Spanish Jlerino, a type which antedates the Christian Era. These sheep were held in Spain by the kings, the nobles, the clergj', and others, and since their exportation was prohibited, and extreme care was bestowed upon the fleece, Spain long con- trolled the fine-wool trade of the world. Among the families of the Jlerinos were the Escurial, Infantado, Paular, Negretti, Guadaloup, and Aguirres, which for years contributed largely to" the support of the Spanish Government. Un- til the nineteenth century, it is said, none were exported except by royal favor or by snuiggling. In 1705 three hundred, introduced into Saxony by royal courtesy, became the foundation of the S'axoii Merinos. During the first quarter of the nineteenth century Spanish Merinos were introduced into the United States, and from these the American and the Delaine Merinos have been developed. The moist climate of Great Britain is unfavorable to the growth of the finest wools, and hence the Jlerino has never been suc- cessfully propagated there. It formed the basis of the vast flocks of Australia and New Zealand. The fleece covers the whole body, down to the hoofs and nearly to the tip of the nose. The rams have wide, wrinkled horns. The short, full neck is covered with heavy folds of skin in both males and females. Merino mutton is of inferior quality. The Rambouillet, or French Merino, which originated from the Spanish stock im- ported by Louis XVI. and is named from his es- tate, is regarded as a distinct breed. It is a large,