3o8 Account of the Northumberland Breed of Sheep, Aug. 



Whether this faying of Mr Thompfon, or what elfe was the 

 caufe, it is not eafy to find out, at this diilance of time; but the 

 izCt is, that, though tlicfe gentlemen came to Northumberland 

 next feafon, in great hopes and expctlation of doing more bufinefs 

 than they did the year before, they difpofed of but few very tups 

 at Morpeth ; and, after hawking the remainder from place to 

 place, fold the laft ten (or fuch like number) at St Ninians fair, 

 for fome two or three guineas a piece. This not only finilhed 

 their career in Northumberland, but was the real mean of 

 llamping the value, and edablifhing the merit of the Bakewell 

 blood againfl all oppofition. TheCulIeys had now all the trade, 

 and certainly thereby benefited not only themfelves, but the 

 country at large. It may be proper to notice, that, at this time, 

 ther-: was a fet of leading breeders, in different parts of the 

 county, v/ho, either from pride or ohflinacy^ would not allow 

 merit to the Bakewell blood, and, for a number of years, threw 

 cold water on this valuable breed. Nay, they were weak enough 

 to fay, when they found that the Culleys fnewed their fhearings 

 or dinmonds, at Morpeth, year after year, in better condition 

 than any others prefented, that this was not owing to the nature 

 of the breed, biit to fome art or fecret in feeding, unknown to 

 other people, which they, tlie Culleys, were in poffeflion of. 

 Thus would they allow merit to the breeder, but not to the 

 fheep. A Mr Lamb, however, who at that tim^ was agent to 

 the late Sir Thomas Hriggerftone, of Haggerflone, and rented 

 fome of his capital grazing ground, afTertcd one day in the pub- 

 lic market, * that this new breed mud be of a more feeding 

 r.ature than any ether ; otlierwlfe, it was impoffible that the 

 Culleys, or any man whatever, could fliew fatter (Ijeep than he 

 could : but that, though he had much better land than them, 

 a breed of Iheep hitherto accounted one of the befb in the 

 county, and his paftures lightly ftocked, yet he could not com- 

 pete, in point of fatnefi:, with thcfe of the ne\^' Leicefter breed. * 

 Mr Lamb being an active clever man, wlicfc opinion was much 

 valued by the neighbourhood, this change of fentiment with 

 Lim had a wonderful e{Tc6V. He hired fome tups about this 

 time from the Culleys, which confirmed his ideas as to the pro- 

 priety of the change ; but the matter which had the greateft 

 cfFe£l wr.s, that Mr Taylor, one of the moO: extenfive breeders 

 and graziers in the county, and whofe abilities were generally 

 jefpcctcd, hired tups both from the Meffrs Culleys, and Mr 

 Thompfon, who had now commenced tup-letter, which occa- 

 iicned this breed to be generally diflemijiated throughout the 

 •whole county, and all the low part of Berwickfhlre, to the 

 t..3mrt-»ermu:r Hills. Soms purfc-prcud obftinate breeders con- 

 tinued. 



