The Marquis of Tweeddates. Machine for Making Drain this.

Engraved for the Farmer's Magazine.

London, Published by Joseph Rogerson. 24, Norfolk Street, Strand, March 11539.

THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE.

No. 3.-VOL. II.]

MARCH, 1839.

[NEW SERIES.

THE PLATE.

The three Wether Sheep, which form the subject of our first Plate, were bred by Lord Western, and exhibited in the Cattle-yard at the Christmas Show of the Smithfield Club in December last. The subjoined description, which his Lordship has kindly furnished, will be perused with interest. Lord Western, in accordance with his wonted liberal manner, puts the agricultural public in possession of all the information he can to illustrate the course he has pursued, in endeavouring to produce a "new breed" of sheep. The most minute details, calculated to be useful, are submitted.

LORD WESTERN'S NEW BREED
OF SHEEP.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE.

SIR,-In consequence of the desire which you represent to have been expressed by a number of persons, to have some account of the sheep I exhibited at Smithfield at the last show, and the portraits of which you have given in your Magazine, I will endeavour through the medium of its pages to give some information to the public on the subject. It is generally known that they are cross bred sheep, between the Merino and English Long Wool sheep of different descriptions. Before I proceed further I will remind you of their weights and ages, and I will give you an extract from a letter addressed to me by Mr. Allen of South Audley Street, the butcher who purchased them.

"With respect to the sheep I am happy to inform your Lordship, that they proved better than my best opinion led me to expect, in fact, I must candidly confess that I have never seen anything that could surpass them when slaughtered. I have pleasure in saying that the Duke of Bedford (whom I have not the honour to supply) sent for a haunch; the Duke of Somerset also had one, and another went into Derbyshire.”

I shall now lay before you a detailed account of a pure Merino fat wether, sold to and slaughtered by Mr. Barwell, of Witham in this county, and which I can best give you by the insertion of a letter from him to me.

"MY LORD,-Having been the purchaser of the three-year-old pure Merino wether sheep, bred and fed by your Lordship on your estate at Kelvedon, which was exhibited at the last Christmas show at Chelmsford, and for which your Lordship won a bet of 51, with Mr. Hicks, of Walton, I take the liberty of laying before you, for your Lordship's information, and the information of agriculturists and graziers generally, the opinion of the judges relative thereto, also my own statement as to the weight of the carcase, fat, &c. [No. 3.-VOL. X.

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