Mountain Breeds of Sheep. 365 



tup, he is generally ruddled. The loss on such perilous rambles 

 is by no means slight, and fifty out of six hundred ewes is not 

 thought a very large percentage. Some are clumsy, or venture in 

 a hard time too far on to the rock edge for a few fresh " pickles," 

 and a sudden blast clicks them off. The farmer can watch them 

 tumbling more than half a mile from the top of Honister Crag, 

 and we have seen three ewes lying dead at its foot together. It 

 is in their ability to tide through a Siberian winter that the real 

 " blue blood " of the Herdwick comes out. Sometimes they are 

 so snowed up on the hill side that it is impossible to get at them, 

 and they can do little more than scratch for a bit of dead bracken. 

 In a storm they are excellent generals, forming themselves into 

 solid squares on the most exposed part of the hill, until it sweeps 

 past, and then trying to trample down the snow by a combined 

 movement. 



From the end of July till November is the most cheery time 

 for the flock-master. The nip of winter begins about Martinmas, 

 and it is always the first and often the middle of June before the 

 grass is ready. Hence it is no wonder that Herdwick maturity 

 is a thing of slow growth. On the higher fells the ewes have 

 no lambs until they are three years old or " showing" (to use the 

 Fell Dales term) " more than four broad teeth." They are 

 generally drawn by hundreds, according to their fleece or bone, 

 so as to suit each tup, and are put to as late as possible, so as not 

 to lamb much before May-day, when they are brought off the fell 

 and sent back again with their lambs at the end of three weeks. 

 Except at lambing and tupping times wethers and ewes range 

 together; and the glmmers in the intakes are carefully "clothed 

 up." If 560 lambs can be got from GOO ewes it is a great matter 

 of congratulation. The lambs suck until October 4th, and are 

 then taken to the lower ground, and after receiving their " hogg" 

 title with the butter and tar, are sent away to milder climates for 

 the winter. Arable farmers will take them in at 3s. 6c?, per head 

 up till March 25th, but as it is such an especial point to place 

 them out near the sea, prices will run up to five or six shillings. 

 They are stationed all along the coast from St, Bees' rocks, south- 

 wards to Ulverston, but still many flock-masters only send their 

 "tops" and "tails," and let the " middles" take their chance on 

 the intakes. The sickness from which the hoggs suffer, and for 

 which "a change to the salt water " seems the only cure, is like: 

 black water in calves, and of all durations from half an hour to 

 two days. 



The choice of the cast ewes does not depend so much on age, 

 as on selection and the wants of the customer. Many of them 

 go off into the lower enclosed commons about Lorton, VVythop, 

 Embleton, «Scc,, which have been well limed and drained ; and the 



