THE BORDER LEICESTER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 80, 28 December 1907, Page 3

THE BORDER LEICESTER.

;'■ ■ SOME OP HIS GOOD POINTS.* ■'" The"Border Leicester'is.one'.of'the/best,ofour'' long-wool -breeds t of ' sheep, arid is a variation'in type .-from', tho uold; -English: Leicester and Linqoln./ The, ■ breeders/vof' .this sheep ',in the 01d.' l Coimtry':have.,m'ade of [carcass their, principal; aim,, as-seen' : in 1 th'o 'good. girths- arid 'shapely 'forequarters ■ini'ail Hocks.-: of- any. .merit. > AVh'iie :.t-he Border Leicester-lias been, evolved with .these .desirable points, . breeders / have..: recognised that- quality of .flesh' must-be kept in ,view> also';.' they,' could .'see that ' t-he: coarser-the,' wool.' fibre;, .tho /'coarser. ,T.he;.. grain; ;of/fle's]i below, arid- so'/, by. .selection;,.and [ judiqioU,t . mating they /havo : brought about : a/rather,, finer grade ; of; wool; than l existed formerly, ' and with /bettor' '.character- also. .., By; ..eil- : couraging a/ finer ..grade of !better : . character 'in"'fleece;' they have also [as a ire-; • suit;, toned. down ~ the coarseuess of .flesh, ,an?l; •now ori illl well-bre'd sheep we : find the:bright' ; pink- .skin - that is ,a[t- ,once -an indicationr o,f qrialit.y dfflosh,' and upon.which, as,.a[general ' • rule, nice wool will grow! . A-,.'Border;' Lei- • cester 'is-riot, however, a well covered sheep from: a/wool "man's 1 point- of--.'view,.'.but ;tho : -of excessive covering .[the • reasons whVtho hrood excels lli-constitutiojiaJ .points.'' 'Had'thd/old'breeders made for/ex- - .cesive covering also, they could :riot 'have evolved', the .Border Leicester./sheep. 1 / , ' . One of - the' rccognised ,-'points ;.of the breed - as .being.-.truo tqt-ypojs, no ...wool- : furt-her'' ■forward'than whoro'tho neck' joiiis the head, -.and to /a; Igrea t. degree)' in 'any • breed,' jt-his really/is. where the .'.flesh ends;-:.■ By-keeping the head -.and; ears clear; it; increases /their comfort.- especially [towards.sheanrig 'time/in [fiill/wqql, and ndien [grass'se'eflis' b[ad.-' ,[ : Tho •barene's'sofdeg. in [.timesof grass ;' seed : [ is Cao;' advantage 'to ; them.: > The:-, idea /-.in'.'wool- . ;'carryiiig -capacity Us to. carry- - : as much "a;s pbisiblo of., a .good ../.style, ..of; .stuff'on:'t-he ! :body /parts'.only, and jriot encourage -it.: otii [ ;the[:,extr.emities.',-., In shape . of' head- and [ear's;/'they.; should .(in/outline, only)., resemblo - very. riiufch - tho '■ ha re, •' ha ving ' clean-cut' eyes, • ; ; bridge-of/nosey' arid/ears,, 'or/in.: other'words; ' [ a .defined, .well-bred .-aripbaraiice. : .':lri 'colOijr'.they.' should: hay, 0/ white! faces,- ears,. ' :and- legs,-,.,biit-;iiot'!.th'e['-■^Harfl;korapty white • often, seen ;iij ; :.'sMpny-ra.t.e [sheep, "arid ; .riot/the 'slatey/bl.ue' tiiige • Wo '-see; in • so-called • Border Leiceste.rs ' .cross ; -'of; the 'other/-long- ; • wool -breeds;' ;A/ few' ricli,..blacjc '[spots';/011 ' ears,'., a'iid'.:pfteii,; near aje' not ! [.wrong;;/providing'-they.:.'afe/.-riot-.-'a-Vcoirimori ./dull.' : !brqwri; ;qr/dirty:,!bla.ek,r.,.: 'A!.ricl(.vblaibk' ;spot;!;s , have'!made;a success'fof./iriiprciving • and; of: individual]' -riiat- • iiig,-i/a;;i,beautyi'§p.ot.!,'..'L'erigt-h;of,-bead. is a H'aTued;ppin|.'!byimirijiß6rd i or[Leicester[rmen.,; •■/they.[ coiiSider'Vit' in ilamb'- : ..inc/, r ,./.'-'[ / - . ■■v;Sheep,. of;'this /breed v. are/goqd -,travellers' water;' 'ctand'/a.- lot-iof .-hardship..[...'/.They.;C[ross-welt onVmerind'/ewes '. of:,a-shapely-: ola'ss, [and .tho, 1 lam,bs.m'ake.good .freezers. ;-. They ;a,r[e.very [suitable to'graziers wh'o'i.ha'vo 'country [ -suitable,:' for"' fattening • -lambs' off- tho natural and 7 : wlip "de-' 'pend ; ._eritirely. On tho/seasoni 'fordf [attention : ls'-./'paid/.that 'norio' but, shapely [good;'.doing ranis"; with.'fair.'fleece'; qualities are'; used/: the ;lambs, if; held'.'ovOT,'.will.niako.profitable, wool: ! •growers,/ and > .when the.-. /good .shape',' [exists,-: easily..fattening sheep/ala>... ..' - . j '~' ilt-'is-very.dangerous!to'the good riamo'of 1 this/br^ed.'.that;a_„keen ,demand- riPW' exists ;-f.or [them./:,'- Thpy; are. a-.breed' easily .rearedj 'and-/easily worked', up[ fß'm[[.')lial i f-bred [. arid • -three-quarter ;bred : eweS' so as.'to appear.(truo ■ /to [typo,-to;tho prddnary-.'sheop/'man,' but if /all. rams'in 'tho w;eol'wero hancfled-before purchase, and high . sheuldered and hollbw girthed ones rejected'it'Would- do a lot'low'ards-koep-jng /.tho good-.namp:-now ppssessed.-^H.• "W. Hani, iri'Vietbriari ■."Journal of.Agriculture."