Improved Value of Scotch Sheep. ^ 57 b 



farmer, well acquainted with the south-western counties of 

 Scotland, wrote to me as follows : — " I know many farms in 

 Scotland, from which a few years ago the Black-faced lambs 

 averaged 10s. per head, that are now selling — the produce of the 

 same ewe by a Leicester ram — at 24s. The Leicester ram is by 

 far the best cross for the Black-faced ewes, at least in this part of 

 the country. The cross betwixt the Cheviot and Leicester 

 answers admirably on all the best farms, while on the poorer 

 farms we greatly prefer the Black-faced cross. A farmer near 

 Kirkcudbright, last spring, sold his first draft of tegs in May, 

 out of the wool, at GOs. per head, the fleeces averaging 9J- lbs. ; of 

 course they were a cross between the Leicester and Cheviot ; 

 this may be considered an extreme case, yet there are hundreds 

 to be found in the same locality weighing in spring 18 lbs. to 

 20 lbs. per quarter, and cutting 8 lbs. of wool each. 



At the great ram fair held at Hawick, 372 Leicester rams 

 were sold by public auction, the average of which was 5Z. 17s. 7d. 

 per head, the highest price being 14/. 10s. 



At the Lockerby Show, held in April, 1865, the first prize 

 hogs weighed 180 lbs. live weight, which was the highest aver- 

 age ever known at this Show. 



Within the last ten years the number of crosses with the 

 different mountain breeds have increased at least threefold ; the 

 only limits to the system of crossing will be the deficiency in 

 the supply of the pure element in the female line. Since, how- 

 ever, there are large areas which can never be stocked by any 

 but the pure native races, we may reckon on these moors and 

 mountains to furnish to more favoured localities their surplus 

 produce. It is a remarkable fact, well known to practical men, 

 that in breeding from a Black-faced ewe by a Leicester ram 

 the produce decreases in value with each successive family ; 

 hence, when ewes have twice bred to a Leicester sheep, they are 

 known by the name of double-milled ewes, and, though still 

 young, are rejected by the experienced breeders as deteriorated 

 in value. 



I have thus endeavoured to put together a few remarks, the 

 result of many inquiries, which I trust may be of use in calling 

 attention to a valuable source of supply for store sheep, and also 

 serve to illustrate the remarkable rise and fall in the value ot 

 sheep, which has taken place within the last two years. 



