"218 THE BLACKFACED BREED OF SHEEP. 



are generally sent to be wintered in the low country or seaboard 

 parts. The character of the winter on the hills is, as a rule, 

 much more severe than in the low arable country, and the 

 system of wintering keeps down the rate of mortality among 

 Highland flocks. About 1860 the average price per head for 

 wintering ranged from 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d., but since then it has 

 been doubled. Six shillings per animal is a common price now ; 

 and if a small extent of turnips is allowed along with pasture, 

 7s. 6d. or 8s. is sometimes obtained. Two reasons for this great 

 increase in the expense of wintering may be put dow^n thus. 

 The first is, that owing to the increased value of the sheep, 

 owners thereof in upland districts turn more of them to 

 the low country than formerly, in order to get them as well 

 wintered as possible. The second is, that many lowland 

 farmers, who formerly let their winter pasture, now prefer 

 either to keep sheep all the year round, or to buy them in to 

 winter, wdth a view to sell in spring or through the summer 

 season. Between the years of 1830 and 1840, the cost of 

 wintering sheep was calculated at from Is. 6d. to 2s. per head. 

 Hoggs are usually put to the wintering ground about the 1st 

 of November and taken home about the 1st of April. . 



Messrs Kennedy and Grainger, writing in the year 1829, thus 

 compute the profit and loss from a flock of 1000 blackfaced 

 breeding ewes in Inverness-shire : — 



126 Ewes, at ^9 per score of 21, . . £54 



105 Shot lambs, at ,£2, 10s. per score, . . 12 10 



252 Wedder lambs, at £6 „ . . 72 



180 Stones of laid wool, at 5s. per stone, . 45 



£183 10 



Dedvxtions. 

 Smearing, .... £25 

 Two shepherds' meal, &c., besides 



pasturage, . . . 10 



Interest of money, . . . 35 



70 



Remaining for rent and all public burdens, £113 10 



*' This sum was considerably short of what was wanted for 

 the landlord ; and the only resources for the tenant, in order to 

 enable him to make up the deficiency, and keep his family, was 

 the keep of a few cows, and the growth of potatoes, but which, 

 after all, would yield a very unprofitable return for the time 

 employed and the capital invested. The rent, however, is now 

 lowered, and the price of the wool considerably raised." In the 

 southern counties of Scotland the flocks are seldom taken off 

 the lower hills during the winter season. About Christmas the 

 rams are withdrawn from the ewes, and fed upon turnips, hay, 



