The Hcrdzvick Breed of Sheep 



65 



where the flocks range over large districts of 

 unenclosed mountain, a book has been 

 published, containing letterpress descriptions 

 and wood engravings of the ear-marks, wool- 

 marks, and tar-letter, used by the different 

 sheep-owners within a compass of many miles. 

 Each valley throughout the lake country has, 

 at least, one copy of the book, bought by 

 subscription among the farmers. 



Those of our readers who may desire in- 

 formation concerning the systems of farming 

 in the country of the Herdwick's, will do well 

 to turn to Mr Dickinson's Report in the Royal 

 Agriculhwal Societfs Journal^ and to his 

 essay, bearing date 1850 (published by 

 Whittaker & Co., Ave IVIaria Lane), in both 

 of which will be found valuable details, inter- 

 spersed with anecdote. In alluding to the 

 healthy longevity of the mountain farmers, 

 the writer relates a story of a person from the 

 lower country who went to purchase sheep in 

 the vale of Ulpha. During his examination 

 of a draft of wethers, several broke away. 

 "The patriarchal owner, who was stationed 

 in his place to help to keep in the flock, 

 called to the intending purchaser, in the 

 peculiar dialect of the place, to ' tell that lad 

 belaa (below) to gang raund t' house an torn 



t' wethers at t' croft gap ' — the lad being his 

 eldest son, and eighty-three years of age." 

 The incident bears resemblance to that of 

 the mother, nearly a century old, mourning 

 the loss of a daughter of eighty, and com- 

 plaining of the fulfilment of her prophecy — 

 " I always said I should never rear that 

 child." 



The Herdwick sheep, though roughly 

 dealt with from their birth — obliged most 

 frequently to seek a meagre sustenance on 

 the brow of Helvellyn, among the clouded 

 heights of Skiddaw, or along the bare and 

 rugged ridges of neighbouring mountains — 

 still receive close attention with a view to the 

 improvement of their race. A society, called 

 "The Fell Dales Association," has been 

 formed specially for exhibitions of them, and 

 for the encouragement of their breeders. 

 The catalogue of the third annual meeting, 

 held in Eskdale last October, contains the 

 entries of seventy-five tups for sale or hire, 

 and between five and six hundred competitors 

 for honours, and shews among the prizes 

 offered a five-guinea cup for the best pen of 

 three three-year-old ewes, and two five-guinea 

 silver challenge cups for single Herdwick 

 rams of any age. 



HIGH-BRED STOCK IN CANADA. 



THE following account of the farm and 

 live-stock belonging to Mr Cochrane, 

 Montreal, who purchased " Rosedale " at the 

 sale of the Duke of Montrose's herd last 

 autumn, is taken from the Canada Farmer: — 

 " We must confess to a large amount of 

 ignorance in respect to the style of farming 

 in vogue in that part of our dominion, for- 

 merly known as Lower Canada, and now 

 designated Quebec. The opportunity of 

 making extended personal observations there 

 has never been within our reach. We 

 hope it may be at some future day. Mean- 

 time we are glad to be able to say that we 

 have seen, if not a Quebec farm — the ground 

 being all covered with snow — a farm-house, 



VOL. I. 



the extensive steading, and a lot of choice 

 animals, such as can hardly be equalled, cer- 

 tainly not surpassed, anywhere in the do- 

 minion of Canada. 



By the invitation of its proprietor we lately 

 made a flying visit to Hillhurst farm, near 

 Compton village, the estate and country seat 

 of M. H. Cochrane, Esq., a prosperous Mon- 

 treal merchant. This gentleman having made 

 money in the city, wisely determined to in- 

 vest a portion of it in this country, and made 

 choice of his native place, though at some 

 distance from the scene of his business opera- 

 tions, as the spot where he would have a 

 farm. Accordingly he purchased, one after 

 another, a number of small holdings, until he 



