22 S THE BLACKFACED BEEED OF SHEEP. 



farmer, who had long experience in the breeding and rearing of 

 bhcick faced sheep, concurs with the remarks of other gentlemen 

 previously given geaerally, and adds that by the present laws 

 he does not see how sheep farming could be made to pay better, 

 except by reducing rents and fencing hill pasture. The average 

 yield of wool for three-year-old w^ethers dipped with grease, is 

 about 7 lbs., that of milk ewes 4 lbs., and that of hoggs 5 lbs. a 

 head. Dipping with about half a pound of grease for each 

 animal costs in all about 5d. a head. 



Regarding these lattsr two points, Mr Samuel Davidson, 

 manager to Lord Tweedmouth at Guisachan, states that the 

 usual yield of blackfaced wool per animal is 6 lbs. white wool 

 and 8 lbs. laid wool. It is not profitable, says Mr Davidson, to 

 smear sheep, on account of the high price of smearing materials, 

 men's wages, and the low price of laid wool. Smearing costs on 

 an average from lOd. to Is.' per head. Dipping, says Mr David- 

 son, is preferable to smearing. It has generally to be performed 

 twice a year, each dip costing about 2d. per animal. 



THE BLACKFACED BREED OF SHEEP. 



By David Archibald, Awamoa, Otago. 



[Premium — Five Sovereigns.] 



There can be few more interesting subjects to breeders in 

 Scotland than the breeding of the blackfaced sheep. These 

 hardy animals have now gained a place and reputation for them- 

 selves that will entitle them to claim notice and attention. 

 The breed may indeed be said to be at present the mainstay of 

 Scottish sheep farming, as they were in the first instance largely 

 the means of developing the pastoral resources of the country. 

 Ill reference to their origin there is a good deal of uncertainty. 

 Theories to account for it are, however, plentiful enough. To 

 begin with, there is the usual story that they came from Spain 

 with the Armada — a story which seems to be told about nearly 

 all wool-bearino' animals whose descent it is difficult to trace. 

 A second tradition is, that they w^ere introduced by one of the 

 Scotch kings (whom Hogg calls James IV.) into Ettrick forest; 

 but the quarter from which they were supposed to have come is 

 a point on which this narrative is altogether silent. Another 

 belief, which has attracted more attention than these, is that the 

 blackfaced breed were originally the product of a cross between 

 the goat and the old whitefaced native sheep. This is an opinion 

 which was at one time pretty current, and is found mentioned 

 in the works of several writers. The publication which gave 

 most importance to it was perhaps the Old Statistical Account 

 of Scotland. The reference to the subject occurs in the report 



