BUTE AND ARKAN. 47 



slieep-farms have come most to the front in shows on the main- 

 land. The stocks on these farms were first improved by tups 

 purchased from Mr John Lome Stewart of Coll, the late 

 "Chamberlain on the Argyll estates in Kintyre, by Mr James 

 Allan, senior, then in Balnacoole ; and for many years past the 

 tups in use on Balnacoole, Clauchlands, Glenree, Glenkill, and 

 one or two other farms, have been purchased at the autumn ram 

 sales in Edinburgh and Ayr. Balnacoole flock is famed for its 

 €wes and gimmers, and numerous prizes have fallen to its lot at 

 Glasgow and Ayr shows. 



The cast lambs from these farms are sold to dealers from 

 Glasgow, Ayr, and Galloway, in the end of summer, and are 

 scattered over the country for grazing purposes. On the arable 

 farms near Lagg in the south end, and some other parts of the 

 island, blackfaced ewes are crossed with Leicester tups, and 

 begin to lamb about the end of March. These ewes are fed 

 during winter, sometimes on turnips, and sometimes with Indian 

 corn. The turnips are carted to them in the fields, as feeding 

 on the netting principle is never practised in Arran. The cross- 

 bred lambs are taken from their dams during summer as they 

 are required by the butchers, and draw from about 18s. to 2-4s. 

 each ; the ewes are sold off, if fab enough, about the end of Sep- 

 tember, and realise similar prices with the lambs. A new stock 

 is put on in October, and border Leicester tups are bought at 

 the Edinburgh and Hawick sales, in the end of September, for 

 crossing with them. The clip of these ewes formerly, when 

 grease was much in use, weighed about 6 lbs. to the fleece ; now, 

 when dipping compositions are used, it will not weigh more than 

 4 lbs. to the fleece. Some of the farmers keep the cross-bred 

 lambs till they are one and a half year old, and the clip of these 

 hoggs averages about 6 lbs. to the fleece, unwashed. 



The only other kind of sheep farming to which we need now 

 refer is the experiment with the Cheviots. 



This favourite Border breed was first introduced into Arran, 

 by the late Mr Peter Tod, about 1829, and has since then been 

 kept at different times on the farms of Glen Sannox, Glenkill, 

 Auchenhew, and up to the present time (1880) on Glenree. 

 On all of these farms, with the exception of Glenree, they were 

 found not to do well, and have been replaced by the blackfaced. 

 Two hirsels of about 500 breeding ewes each are still kept on 

 Glenree. The climate of Arran is rather moist for Cheviots ; 

 and although in a good season tliey do uncommonly well, yet over 

 a series of years blackfaced would be found to be more profitable. 

 The two o])jections to tlie Cheviot ewe are, that in a hard sjiring 

 she is a bad milker, and she is not so productive as her black- 

 faced rival. A liirsel of 25 score of Cheviot ewes was kept from 

 18C0 to 1874 on land now carrying a blackfaced flock, and ou 



