REPORT ON THE AGRICULTURE OF DUMFRIESSHIRE. 333 



menced the rearing of Leicester rams. The heaviest and best 

 Cheviot sheep in Dumfriesshire are found in Eskdalemoor, 

 medium in Annandale (some of the sheep walks about Moffat 

 carrying very good stocks), while the lightest are in Nithsdale, 

 the land there being barer and higher than either in Eskdale or 

 Annandale ; at the same time, when brought into the low country 

 to feed, &c, they are found to do uncommonly well. Cheviot sheep 

 bred on Moodlaw, Capplegill, Garwald, Kirkhill, and Dumfedling, 

 are well known to all farmers interested in Cheviot stock, but 

 more especially the former ; the sheep off Moodlaw, under Mr 

 Brydon's painstaking and judicious management, being invincible 

 wherever exhibited in the public show-yard. Fabulous prices 

 have been realised by Mr Brydon for his rams at his bi-annual 

 sale at Beattock, " Glenpatrick " having been sold this season 

 in September for the enormous figure of 185 guineas, the 

 highest price ever paid for a Cheviot sheep ; while many others 

 sold from 50 to 120 guineas. Blackfaced sheep are almost 

 entirely confined to Nithsdale ; but this breed is not nearly so 

 numerous nor valuable as the Cheviot. Many of the Blackfaced 

 stocks in Dumfriesshire are excellent, and great pains taken in 

 their management ; but none stand out so prominently among 

 them as the Moodlaw flock does among the Cheviots. Leicesters 

 are in small compass in the county, and only kept by a few 

 gentlemen ; but the rams bred by Mr Irving of Wkitehill are 

 considered very good. On a number of arable farms the draft 

 ewes (both Cheviot and Blackfaced) are brought down from 

 the hills and crossed with Leicester rams 1 , the produce being 

 a lamb much sought after by feeders, possessing the feeding- 

 properties of the ram, and the hardiness of constitution of the 

 ewe. 



Although a great bacon producing county, the breed of pigs is 

 very inferior — in fact, few feeders can tell the breed of their 

 animals ; but they are not great favourites, except on dairy farms, 

 where they can be inexpensively and well fed through summer 

 on whey. 



The improvements which have taken place on the various 

 estates throughout Dumfriesshire during the present century, 

 such as building, draining, and fencing, have been both nume- 

 rous and extensive ; but much yet remains to be done, especially 

 on hill farms, which have not participated as much in liming 

 and draining as the arable ground, although, owing to the high 

 price of sheep for the last six or eight years, more attention is 

 now being paid to them. Dumfriesshire having always stood 

 well as an agricultural county, the improvements carried out 

 have been progressive, consequently the appearance of the land 

 has not been so rapidly changed as in many backward counties, 

 A very large extent of moss has been reclaimed during the last 



