270 THE BOEDER LEICESTER BREED OF SHEEP. 



that I could scarcely see their eyes. Indeed, amoug all the 

 numerous bad breeds then to be found, and which are still to be 

 met with in various districts, I do not remember to have seen 

 any one so completely ugly. Their wool grew down to their very 

 toes ; their loins wore high and narrow ; their shoulders sharp 

 and hollow behind ; their sides flat ; their wool short ani not 

 at all fine." Such a mis-shapen, unprofitable animal could 

 not of course hold its ground against the skilfully developed 

 Leicester. During the first thirty years of this century, the 

 new type of sheep became the universal breed in all low country 

 farms in the district in question. These fiocks were, as might 

 be guessed, of very various degrees of purity, many men taking 

 every pains to have them good, and others using tups from 

 their own flock or any that they could procure at little cost. 

 But soon after the period named, Leicesters, except for tup- 

 breeding, disappeared from the district, being supplanted by 

 Leicester and Cheviot crosses, which were found to be hardier, 

 more prolific, better nurses, and to produce a quality of mutton 

 more palatable to the consumers. 



In the year 1806, after a most successful career, the Culleys 

 retired from breeding, and sold off their stock at Eastfield, near 

 Berwick. For the 420 sheep exposed, an average of £5, 7s. 3d., or 

 £2253 in all, was obtained. At this sale, one of the principal pur- 

 chasers was Mr Ralph Compton of Learmonth, who afterwards 

 took a high position as a breeder, and with whose stock are 

 connected the two outstanding flocks of the present day, those 

 at Mertoun and ]\Iellendean. Of these flocks, Lord Polwarth's 

 may be ranked first in respect of the extent to which it has 

 impressed its character on by far the greatest number of the 

 most fashionable stocks now in the country. 



As to the precise date at which it was founded there seems a 

 little uncertainty. In Wight's ''Tour on Husbandry," which was 

 published in the year 1778, it is stated that, prior to that early 

 period, Mr Scott of Harden, the then proprietor of Mertoun, had 

 been aiming at the improvement of his stock. He had, it seems, 

 first obtained sheep from Bammershire, in Northumberland ; 

 but the progeny of these animals were not found to be suitable 

 for the liigh districts of Scotland, and were therefore put aside. 

 '•' His next trial," Wight says, " was with Culleys' noted breed. 

 He procured the best ewes of the breed, for which he gave 

 3 guineas, and 10 for the use of a ram for a single season." 

 With this experiment, Mr Scott, according to this authority, was 

 so successful that his rams came " to be not inferior to the sheep 

 of Mr Bakewell." This account, as will be seen, carries back 

 the Mertoun sheep to be contemporaneous with those at Dishley 

 and Walk. Lord Polwarth, the present owner of the flock, who 

 certainlv deserves tbe thanks of breeders for the care he has 



