Cross-Breeding

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.

Elwes thanks Ewart for the report, and requests that Watson returns the fleeces to him at once as he wants to show them to a cloth manufacturer as well as to Bateson, who will be visiting. He will send Ewart his Norfolk rams if he wants to try crossing them with some Cheviots. He has received few answers to the circular, and complains of 'the apathy of the average English landowner'.

The year is not written on the letter.

Elwes writes on 22 June 1911 that he will order the Ronaldsay sheep for Ewart. He hopes that Ewart will compare the fleece of 'Murrat' ewe mentioned by H.C Stephens with Cowan's fleeces. Elwes is hoping to get Ewart a fleece of purebred Ryeland, which he believes makes a good cross with the Welsh sheep.

The letter from H.C Stephens, dated 19 June 1911, informs Elwes that he will send him the 'Murrat' ewes shortly, and confirms that he has sent the fleece to Ewart.

Jackson writes that following the advertisement in The Field, he would be very glad to send Ewart a white cock pheasant. He also says that he would be willing to mate a white cock with a white hen for experimental purposes.

Russell, who signs himself 'Bedford', writes that he is ready to continue experiments with Przewalski's horses and asks Ewart to send the pony mares that he wants to cross to Woburn. He comments that his Grevy's zebra is due to foal soon.

Gladstone expresses his interest in Ewart's experiments with the speckled white female and white male birds. He recounts that Farnley Hall, Yorkshire had a large number of speckled pheasants. He offers Ewart some of the offspring from one of his own cross-breeding experiments.

Caird states how interested he had been to read Ewart's article in The Scotsman about experimental contributions to the theory of heredity. He provides example of cross-breeding from his own horses, cows and rabbits.

Forsyth asks Ewart to accompany him to Monkstadt (the experimental farm of the Congested Districts Board) to see the ponies. He also wishes to consult him about the some public allegations that the Congested Districts Board are reviving the Highland ponies by crossing them.

Forsyth comments that he has read Ewart's notes and recommendations on ponies with interest. He requests that Ewart add a whole summary of recommendations and notes on the results of crossing experiments, so that the whole report can go to the Secretary directly.