Although the Lincoln district of long-wool extends no further to the south-east, it yet stretches into, and com prises a considerable proportion of Cambridgeshire, par ticularly the fenny lands, and the isle of Ely. The stock here is very light, probably it does not exceed one sheep to two acres; the weight of the fleece is nearly eight pounds ; the number of sheep being 41,700, the wool produced will be nearly 1400 packs.
It is extremely difficult to estimate tbc number of sheep, producing long-wool, that am, kept in Hunting donshire ; the flocks of this county being of such various or dubious characters. Probably of the kind of sheep we arc now considering, there are, in this county, 87.500, fed upon as many acres of land, which, taking the aver age fleece at 7 lbs. will give rather more than 2500 packs. Of these, part is combed and spun in the neigh bourhood, particularly on the Northamptonshire border ; another part is sent to Leicester, and wrought into stock ings; a third portion is used in the manufacture of the Yorkshire woollens ; and the remainder is manufactured at Bury St Edmunds, and at Norwich.
The next breed of long-woolled sheep that claim our notice, are the Dishley. In Leicestershire there were formerly two distinct breeds of sheep, known by the names of the old and the new Leicester ; but at present very few of the first are seen. The new Leicester are principally met with in the county from which they take their name, in Rutlandshire, the inclosed parts of North amptonshire and Warwickshire, and the richer soils in the eastern part of Staffordshire, and the south of Der byshire ; comprizing an extensive tract, the second in point of dimension, which produces long wool. In con sequence of the excellent system of sheep-farming prac tised in Leicestershire, and the natural fertility of the soil, it may be computed that this county maintains 380,500 sheep, which produce more than 11,000 packs of wool. Notwithstanding the very large proportion of commonfield land in Northamptonshire, (which of course is incompatible, or at least highly unfavourable to sheep farming,) the stock is estimated at one to every acre, and the weight of the fleece at more than 6 lbs.; the whole produce being 16,000 packs of wool, from 640.000 sheep. In Rutlandshire, the number of sheep is supposed not to exceed 114,000, which, if the average weight of the fleece be 5 lbs., will give, as the produce of the county, nearly 2400 packs of wool. In the south eastern quarter of Warwickshire, the stock of sheep is considerably heavier than in any other part of the county; and in the northwestern quarter it is very light. Even on the richest soils, the number of sheep cannot be esti mated at more than seven to eight acres of land ; the weight of the fleece does not greatly exceed sibs.; the
number of sheep are about consequently the annual produce is about 3400 packs. In Staffordshile comparatively few sheep are kept. Large fleeces are found chiefly on the rich land near the banks of the Trent, in the south-east angle of the county ; and even here the stock is probably not heavier than 7 sheep upon 25 acres ; which, supposing that there are 14,000 acres, over which the heavy breed ranges, will give 3700 sheep, producing rather more than 100 packs.
The Romney Marsh sheep are the next species of long woolled sheep which come under our consideration. They are almost exclusively confined to that part of Kent from which they take their name. In this very fertile marsh, it is estimated, that each acre keeps five sheep. The fleece, on an average, does not weigh more than 7 lbs. though particular cases have occurred in which the weight has risen to 12 or 14 lbs. On the marsh there are probably 185,000 sheep, koducing 5400 packs of wool. In the isle of Shepey, some of these sheep are also kept ; but though the weight of the fleece is the same, the stock per acre is less ; so that on this ilDAL•C thc, number of sheep and weight of fleece is less than might be expected from the natural fertility of the soil. Probably on the banks of the Thames and the Medway there are 108,000 sheep, furnishing nearly 3200 packs. Almost the whole of the wool of Kent is manufactured in the west of England.
In Devonshire there are two kinds of sheep ; but the long-woolled are confined almost entirely to the southern division of the county. The fleeces are estimated at 9 lbs. on an average; but this estimate is too high, 8 lbs. being nearer the truth. The number of the long-woolled sheep in this county is about 194,000 ; which, at an ave rage of 8 lbs. will give 6450 packs. The most singular, as well as the smallest of the districts which produce long-woolled sheep, are the Cotswold Hills in Glouces tershire ; from which, it is said, though probably with out foundation, that the Spanish flocks derive their origin. On the Cotswold Hills, the fleece, on an ave rage, weighs about 8 lbs. The stock may be estimated at one to each acre, and the produce at about 6700 packs, there being about 200,000 sheep. Thus we have gone over all the districts that contain long-woolled sheep, and, from the statements we have given, it will be seen, that the total number of this kind of fleeces which England produces, is nearly 4,200,000, from about 4,000,000 acres of land ; and the weight of the wool amounts to 131,000 packs, of 240 lbs. each. To this quantity must be added the skin-wool procured from slaughtered sheep, which will probably bring the whole quantity of combing wool up to 137,228 packs.