Elwes, Henry John, 1846-1922 (traveller and botanist)

Elwes writes that nearly all of his sheep have now lambed. He concludes that the Soay, Manx or Hebridean sheep are not worth keeping except for ornamental value, that the Welsh spotted and Shetland sheep are hardier and that the Cheviot lamb crosses are not as hardy as one would expect. Elwes wants a wool expert to report on his various sheep at clipping time. Next season he proposes to cross Herdwicks and Shetlands more largely and to get more of the spotted breed and some Wensleydales.

Elwes regrets that he will no longer have room for Ewart in the car to the Scottish Highlands, but he hopes to see him before the Royal Agricultural Show in July. He thinks his Shetland wether hoggs are not worth keeping another year for their wool alone, so they had better be sold for whatever they are worth. He is sending around 40 fleeces of many crosses to Bradford to be examined and valued.

The letter is undated, although marked 'Friday'.

Elwes provides some suggestions regarding the transportation of the sheep to Cheltenham from Edinburgh for the Royal Agricultural Show in Bristol. He will send Ewart details of the valuation of the wool for the guidance of Ewart's committee as to future crossing experiments.

Elwes writes that he is enclosing a letter from Brodie about his sheep (letter not present). He asks if Ewart would like to see the sheep skins he has been sent which are dressed for mats and said to be Icelanders from a farm which Sanderson told him about.

The year is not written on the letter.

Elwes asks Ewart to divide the Shetland ewes between the best woolled Shetland moorit and the best Siberian ram, as he wishes to see what influence the environment may have on the wool. He asks whether Ewart wants to purchase the Shetlands or keep them and charge Elwes for their keep.

Elwes enquires whether Ewart thinks it worthwhile to import any sheep from the Faroes, and if so, could Lord Bute or Cowan take them, as he has no room. He refers to a letter from a Mrs Taylor which mentions crossing a fox-coloured ram with a black ewe. He reports that Ewart's Blackfaces are the most profitable of his sheep so far, except for their wool. He will be selling the remainder of Ewart's hoggs.

Elwes writes that the Zoological Society no longer wishes to keep his three-year old Soay ram, and he wonders whether the Edinburgh Zoological Society might like him. He asks whether Ewart knows of anyone who will make him cloth made from Moorit wool.

Elwes writes that he is sending some remarks about the report of the Committee on wool, of which Ewart was chiefly the author. Elwes believes that the Committee fails to realise that with the possible exception of the Merino and Shetland, wool is of minor importance to the breeder, and that no definite type of wool suitable for any specified purpose is indicated. He does not feel that the Welsh farm or Fochabers are suitable for experiments on crossing because they are low country farms.

Elwes is sending Ewart the fleece of a Cheviot-Shetland cross from Shetland and that he will also receive a fleece of a first-prize shearling Welsh ewe. He is also enclosing photographs of sheep showing four generations and asks Ewart's advice on what would be the most interesting cross out of them. He asks when Ewart and Wallace are going to examine the wools.