120 . THE AGRICULTURE OF THE 



ewes — generally cast ewes — are also fattened. The same system 

 of feeding is adopted for these as for lambs. 



Too many disastrous years have occurred since 1857. The 

 losses sustained at various periods were irreparable and disheart- 

 ening. This has been more severely felt in the higher lying 

 districts, where the climatic influences during winter are dis- 

 astrous to both animal and vegetable life, and where the many 

 untoward seasons, which have passed within a comparatively 

 short period, have left an impression and gloom on the mind of 

 the flockmaster that will not be easily suppressed. The rate of 

 mortality among flocks, and more particularly lambs, between 

 1870 and 1881, was remarkably high. It is so far gratifying, 

 however, to have to note that the winter of 1881-82, which was 

 quite exceptional in its character, has helped greatly to revive 

 the spirits of sheep farmers. Lambs are more numerous, and 

 much stronger and healthier this year (1882), than they have 

 been for years, while the prices for all kinds of sheep are remun- 

 erative. The death-rate has been comparatively insignificant. 

 Since the beginning of the present summer the weather has been 

 favourable to vegetation, and hill pasture, as well as that on 

 cultivated land, has been most luxurious. 



At various periods during the present century handsome 

 profits have been realised from sheep farming. It was a lucra- 

 tive industry twenty or thirty years ago, but in recent years the 

 price of wool, the cost of wintering, and other circumstances, as 

 well as the seasons, have affected it considerably. The price of 

 mutton has advanced greatly, but the gain on this point has been 

 more than counterbalanced by the increase in the cost of main- 

 tenance — rise in rent, in the cost of living, and in the cost of 

 labour — coupled with the decline in the price of wool. Then 

 the average death-rate has lately been higher than formerly, and 

 on the whole the position of sheep farmers has undergone a 

 marked change for the worse within the past ten or twelve 

 years. 



The system of management pursued by sheep farmers in these 

 counties can hardly be said to differ in any respect from that 

 which prevails generally over the north of Scotland. In the 

 colder districts smearing is preferred to dipping. As the follow- 

 ing statement will show, the former plan is, as a rule, more 

 profitable than the latter. Sheep not smeared require two 

 dippings in a year, and these cost 30s. per 100 head — 14s. for 

 the material, and 16s. for the dipping operation — being 2s. per 

 day to four men on each occasion. Smearing has to be done 

 only once a year. It costs lOd. a head, or say 80s. for 100 head. 

 Then the yield of wool from dipped sheep (blackfaced) would 

 average about 3 lbs. per head, or 300 lbs. from 100 head ; 

 whereas from smeared sheep the weight of wool would be 



