English Leicester sheep on A S Aldrich’s farm “Matsubara”, Bunnythorpe, north of Palmerston North. These sheep had long, coarse, lustrous wool, a pioneer breed well suited to the wetter conditions and rough grazing on North Island hill country. Leicester sheep were used extensively as a crossing sire to develop sheep most suited to New Zealand conditions. By the early 1900’s flocks of these sheep declined in numbers.