THE BLACKFACED BEEED OF SHEEP. 223 



Besides the labour which smearing involves, it depreciates the 

 value of the wool very considerably, and gives rise to the 

 question, whether the benefit which the sheep derives from smear- 

 ing is equivalent to the sacrifice in the price of the fleece by its 

 application ? The average yield of wool from smeared and 

 dipped sheep is as nearly as possible thus : Smeared — wethers, 

 6 lbs. to 7 lbs.; ewes, 3-^ lbs. to 5 lbs.; and hoggs, 4 lbs. to 5 lbs. 

 Dipped — wethers, 3J lbs, to 5 lbs.; ewes, 2^ lbs. to 4 lbs.; and 

 hoggs, 3 lbs. to 4 lbs. These figures show that to make up for 

 the reduction in the value of laid or smeared wool, there is an 

 increase in the yield or weight of the fleece over that of white 

 wool. But out of this has to come the wages of the smearer 

 and the cost of smearing materials, which together cannot be 

 less than 8d. per head. Dipping is calculated to cost from 2d 

 to 3d. per animal. 



An important and noteworthy fact in favour of the dipping 

 theory is this, that white ewes, i.e. dipped, or poured, keep their 

 lambs better than laid ewes. In proof of this an experiment 

 was tried on the farm of Biallid, near Kingussie, in 1861, by Mr 

 Stewart. The ewe stock was 2000, 1000 of which were laid 

 with tar and butter and 1000 poured with — 



8 lbs. Tobacco juice, \ 

 6 „ Hellebore, / . , ^^ , 

 4 „ Soft soap, \ ^^^ ^^'^ "^^^P- 



\ „ Arsenic, ) 



The whole of these ewes were grazed indiscriminately over 

 the farm. It was a bad winter, and worse spring ; and lambs 

 were rather a short crop, and as follows : — 



Poured ewes, . . 782 lambs 



Laid do., . . . 702 do. 



80 at say 10.<. =£40 



in favour of the white ewes. This result most clearly demon- 

 strates that the white ewes invariably yield the largest crop of 

 lambs. 



The subjoined list of dipping material is found to make a 

 very servicable bath for 100 sheep : — 



30 lbs. of Grease butter. 



14 ,, Rougli turpentine. 



3 „ Soft soap. 



2 „ Soda. 



6 bottles of Spirit of tai . 

 45 to 50 bottle.^ of Water. 



Hints for the Improvement of the Breed. 



How can this mountain breed be improved and increased 

 in value without detracting from its natural hardihood and 



