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TJic Country Gciitlcmaiis Magazine 



from 20 to 25, or even as much as 30 per 

 cent, according to the situation of the farm 

 on which breeding ewes are kept. We are 

 enabled to state the average taken from four 

 years' observation upon a farm favourably 

 ])laced with regard to shelter. The average 

 number of ewes yearly set apart for breeding 

 purposes is 223; and of offspring living in 

 the October of the following year, 184. Dur- 

 ing the ensuing winter a diminution of the 

 younger portion of the flock takes place, and 

 the lambs surviving in April (at that time a 

 year old or nearly so) number 166. Thus it 

 will be seen that 39 in 223, or rather more than 

 1 7 per cent, of the ewes turned with the rams, 

 fail to rear, if not to produce offspring ; and 

 that, of the lambs safely brought through one 

 summer, between 9 and 10 per cent. (18 in 

 184) perish during the first winter. The 

 number, 39, includes non-breeding ewes — 

 ewes producing dead lambs, and casual losses 

 before, during, or shortly subsequent to the 

 lambing season, which extends through the 

 month of April and early part of May. Twin 

 lambs are not common. Indeed, we may say 

 that instances of more than one lamb at a 

 birth are rare. 



The only departure of the Herdwick from 

 liis mountain range, until he leaves it never 

 to return, is for the term of this first winter of 

 his existence, which he spends generally on 

 some lowland arable farm. The sheep- 

 breeder who can secure healthy winterage for 

 his " hoggs," usually agrees to give about 5 s. 

 ])er head, paying only for the survivors de- 

 livered to him in March — the winterage last- 

 ing from the 29th of October to Lady-day. 

 Mr Dickinson, the writer of a prize report on 

 Cumberland Farming, published in vol. xiii. 

 of the Journal of the Royal Agricultural 

 Society of England, and of an interesting 

 essay on Agriculture in West Cumberland 

 (which gained a premium given by the Rev. 

 Canon Parkinson, Principal of St Bees' 

 College), affords in his treatises much useful 

 information respecting the Herdwick breed 

 of sheeii. He computes the loss of lambs 

 during the first winter at from 5 to 10 per 

 cent. The cost of winterage from October 

 to the 25th of March he reckons at 3s. or 3s. 



6d. This, however, is considerably exceeded 

 in the present day, and we venture to believe 

 that our estimate of 5s. will be found not far 

 from the average actually paid. 



The later management is very simple. 

 The animals wander over their native hills, 

 finding the herbage upon which they live and 

 thrive. The flock of breeding ewes is, of 

 course, kept up to the required number ; 

 drafts, from time to time (the selections being 

 made irrespective of age), and annual addi- 

 tions from the young stock, helping to main- 

 tain a lot of healthy vigorous dams. The 

 draft ewes (" crock " ewes as they are called 

 in some districts) are bought by farmers who 

 have suitable means of wintering them, and 

 many of them are crossed, as we have already 

 mentioned, with the Leicester ram — the j^ro- 

 duce being either killed as lambs or brought 

 up for fattening purposes, and the ewes fed 

 for the butcher after yielding and rearing 

 through the summer their half-bred lambs. 

 Much care, we may remark, is exercised by 

 the Herdwick breeders to avoid alliances of 

 near blood-relations. Rams bred from stock 

 unconnected, or as remotely as possible con- 

 nected, if at all, with the flocks to which they 

 are to be introduced, are, in a great majority 

 of cases, carefully chosen. 



Mr Dickinson thus describes the practice, 

 to which we have alluded, with reference to 

 the derivation of the name of "Herdwick:" — 



" A custvim prevails of letting a ivjmber of sheep 

 which belong to the landlord along \\ith the farm : 

 usually a fourth part or more within the number the 

 farm, with its common-right, is supposed able, or is 

 accustomed to carry. These consist of proportionate 

 numbers of ewes, wethers, twinters, hogs, and tups ; 

 and are turned over from the offgoing to the incoming 

 tenant by arbitrators — the landlord Ijeing made a 

 party in payment, when any improvement in the flock 

 is discovered, and in receipt when damages for de- 

 terioration arc awarded. The flock is valued on 

 every change of occupier, and bond required for main- 

 taining the condition and number [why not quality?] 

 and for due deliveiy at the end of the term. . . . 

 The rent paid for sheep imder such lettings, varies 

 from 6d. to Is. per head, according to circumstances, 

 including common right, o; is uually estimated at 

 those prices in addition to the icit of the enclosed 

 farm. " 



To provide against the chances of loss 



