Mr. MooRCkOFT's Letter on the Pilrik Sheep ofLadakh, 8gc. 51 



I have been minutely tedious upon their acquired habits of feeding, as 

 introductory to the conclusion, that there exists not a cottager in Britain, 

 receiving no parochial relief, who might not keep three of these sheep, with 

 more ease, than he now supports a cur dog ; nor a little farmer, who might 

 not maintain a flock of fifteen, or twenty, without appropriating half an acre, 

 exclusively, to their use. They would derive support from that produce, 

 which now either wholly runs to waste, or goes to the dunghill in a raw, 

 unprofitable state ; whereas, by giving sustenance to the sheep, it would be 

 animalized, and. improved as manure. 



This point is so well understood here, that sheep are bought in some 

 parts of Ladakh, from grazing countries, in which there is no tillage, 

 merely for their dung, &c. during winter. They are placed in small yards, 

 of which the floor is bespread with a coating of soil, such as it is, and are 

 fed with lucerne hay, given with such regard to quantity, that within two 

 or three hours not a stem, nor a leaf, remains ; and this is repeated in such 

 a way, as to prevent the smallest possible waste. So soon as the stratum 

 is sufficiently saturated with urine and dung, it is carried off, and a fresh 

 coating is given. 



To return to the Purik sheep ; it gives two lambs within twelve months, 

 and is twice shorn within that period. The clip may afford, safely say, 

 three pounds in the annual aggregate, and the first jaeld is fine enough for 

 tolerably good shawls. The sheep of the cottager in Britain would live 

 luxuriously, in the day, on the stripes of grass carpet, which border the 

 roads, and by keeping clean hedge bottoms. When a boy, I have accom- 

 panied Mr. Bakewell over his farm, and listened with pleasure to his de- 

 tails of the frugality of his management ; nor have I been less gratified 

 with the prudent economy of the Flemish peasant. But Britain and Flan- 

 ders are countries, to which nature has been prodigal of vegetable produc- 

 tions ; and what seems prudent husbanding there, would here be accounted 

 the most lavish waste. The British farmer pays for the weeding of his 

 crops. The Ladakh feeder of cattle weeds the crops of the farmer for 

 nothing, and supports his cows and goats on weeded grass, common mal- 

 low, chenopodium, 8ic. without other expense, than that of the labour of 

 women and children, whilst the animals remain in the house, and yield him 

 fuel for the cold season by their dried excrement ; and the milk gives butter 

 for tea, butter-milk, sour curd, and kurut. 



I have seen more luxuriant crops of wheat and of barley, but never crops 



H2 



