ON THE CHEVIOT DltEED OF SHEEP. 113 



fortnnately two valuable pieces of evidence tiiat have not, so far 

 as is known, liad liitlierto the consitleration tliey deserve, are 

 found in Douglas's " Survey of Jtoxlmrglishire," published in 1796, 

 and in the volume of "The Fanner's Magazine" for 180:3. In 

 tlie iirst of these ])ublieations it is narrated that "Mr Julm 

 Edmistoun, late of Mindruni ; Mr James Kobson, then at J'liil- 

 liope (who, it is incidentally mentioned, came to Scotland in 

 1760), and Mr Charles Kerr, then at Kicaltoun," went to Lincoln- 

 shire about the year 1756 and bought 14 tups, with which they 

 crossed tlieir sliocp with great success. The statements made in 

 the " Farmer's Magazine " are ecpially clear. Giving " an account 

 of the Northumberland breed of sheep, and the progressive im- 

 provements thereupon made," a contributor to this magazine, who 

 signs himself " A Northumberland Farmer," incidentally makes 

 reference to Mr Eobson's selection in terms that corroborate the 

 account given in the " Survey," and, like it, prove the opinion cur- 

 rent in the district within living memory of the event to have 

 been unshaded by any doubt. 



In discussing the difi'erence between what he calls the coast 

 breed, which had its habitat from North Durham southwards to 

 the parish of Warkwortli, and the "mugged" or woolly-faced 

 variety, native to the Glendale or Coquetdale Wards, this " Far- 

 mer" states that "the superiority of the coast breed was obtained 

 by frequent crosses with the Lincolnshire l)reed, which at tliat 

 time were of a more feeding quality, and finer wool led than some 

 years afterwards, pre\'ious to their being crossed with the new 

 Leicesters." And then he comes to mention in this connection 

 Mr Eobson's breeding. " As a proof," he writes, " of tlie fineness 

 of Lincolnsliire wool at the period alluded to, I need only observe 

 that the late Mr James Robson of Chatto, a most respectable 

 man, and breeder of Cheviot sheep, who then lived at Scotch 

 l^elford, purchased some tu])s from a ]\Ir Mumby, near IJarton- 

 upon-Humber, in Lincolnshire, who at that time stood liigh as a 

 ram breeder. These tups, without injuring the quality, greatly 

 increased the (juantity of wool, and gave Mr Kobson such a 

 decided superiority over his hill neighliours that for many years, 

 after making the cross, he sold more tups than one half of hill 

 farmers put together." 



After the lines had thus been laid for improvement upon a 

 basis, as to which there need be no doubt, the breed ra]»idly grew 

 in merit and in favour. Of their appearance, now that they had 

 become so popular, there are many descrijDtions, the best known 

 among which is probably that given in 1792 by Sir John Sinclair,* 



* On the establisliment ol tlie British Wool Society in 1791 bj' the late Sir John 

 Sinclair, in cbujnnction with a considerable number of noblemen and gentlemen, 

 for the purpose of improving the quality of wool by introducing the breeds of 

 sheep most suitable to the different districts of Scotland, several delegates were 



H 



