Sheep, breeds and management . Cotswold sheep at that time were intermediate in woolbetween the Ryeland, which is the Lempster breed, and theold Midland Leicester. The short pasture of the Cotswoldswould naturally tend to produce a finer wool than the richgrass land of Leicester and Warwickshire, and hence it isnot difficult to account for the difference in the quality of thewool. The writer was well acquainted with some of the oldstandards of thirty years ago on the Cotswolds, and has heardthem speak of their fathers going regularly into Leicestershireto buy rams, and there is no doubt that t
Sheep, breeds and management . Cotswold sheep at that time were intermediate in woolbetween the Ryeland, which is the Lempster breed, and theold Midland Leicester. The short pasture of the Cotswoldswould naturally tend to produce a finer wool than the richgrass land of Leicester and Warwickshire, and hence it isnot difficult to account for the difference in the quality of thewool. The writer was well acquainted with some of the oldstandards of thirty years ago on the Cotswolds, and has heardthem speak of their fathers going regularly into Leicestershireto buy rams, and there is no doubt that the old type of sheepwas greatly improved by the new Leicester. The breakingup of the downs and the cultivation of the turnip could notfail to affect the sheep, and would tend to increase the weightof the carcase and the length and strength of the wool. Theattention of the Cotswold men was directed to wool of acertain class, for they have long preferred a bold and opencurl rather than the close spiral of the Leicester. The face. COTSWOLDS. 31 of the Cotswold indicates a disposition to grey or light brown,and the same appearance is to be noticed upon the shanks,which may point back to crossing with the original fine-woolled race. All Cotswold sheep men will remember Mr Smiths (Bibury)grey-faced Cotswolds, and that they were stated by theirowner and breeder to be pure Cotswolds, without any admix-ture of Down blood. A few speckles of grey was not thoughtto be a drawback a few years ago, whatever the presentfashion may be, and hence it is probable that the Cotswoldsheep may have originally had a light grey face. The Hewers, Lanes, and Games have long been associatedwith the improvement of the breed of their district, and atthe dispersion of Mr. Hewers famous flock at North Leach,the foundation of more than one prize-taking flock of thepresent day was laid. Whatever the origin of these sheep,it is certain that for the last sixty years at least they havebeen kept pure, so that the ty
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectsheep, bookyear1893
