POINTS OF A CHEVIOT TUP 527 



producing wool per pound, and not the amount per sheep, 

 become more important factors than they are at present. 

 The breed, which usually produces mutton of the finest 

 quality, has one defect as a butcher's sheep, in the occurrence 

 of more than a usual number of yellow carcases which do not 

 fetch top prices. 



With a view to the development of the foreign trade the 

 Cheviot Sheep Society, formed in 1891, established a Flock 

 Book, vols. I. and II. of which were issued in one cover in 

 1893. It makes the important announcement that: "it is 

 only compulsory for the sire of tup lambs to be entered in 

 the Flock Book ; though every tup used in the flock must, by 

 being the son of a registered sire, and descended from a ewe 

 from a flock in which only pure-bred or eligible tups are used, 

 be himself eligible for entry in the Flock Book. This rule 

 will insure purity of breeding, and keep the size of the Flock 

 Book within moderate bounds." 



The following description of the Cheviot sheep is con- 

 densed from the Flock Book : 



" The Cheviot tup at maturity weighs, when fat, at least 

 200 Ibs. live-weight. He should have a lively carriage, bright 

 eyes, and plenty of action. His head should be medium in 

 length, broad between the eyes, well covered with short, fine, 

 white hair ; his ears nicely rounded and not too long [well 

 up from the eye], and rising erect from the head [drooping 

 or low-set ears or narrow ones, ' hare-lugged,' are decidedly 

 faulty] ; nose arched and broad, and nostrils black, full, and wide 

 open ; neck strong, but not too long ; breast broad and open ; 

 ribs well sprung and carried well back towards the hook bones 

 (a long weak back being about the worst possible fault) ; 

 back broad and well covered with mutton ; hind quarters full, 

 straight, and square ; the tail well hung and nicely fringed 

 with wool ; legs set well apart standing squarely (hocks 

 either out or in, the latter especially, are looked upon as 

 defective) ; the bone broad and flat, covered with short, hard, 

 white hair ; the fleece weighing 10 Ibs. to 12 Ibs. of fairly fine, 

 densely grown wool of equal quality, meeting the hair at the 

 ears and cheeks in a decided ruffle. Bareness there, at the 

 throat or near the forearms, near the hocks, or below the body, 

 or coarseness about the breeches, is a decided blemish. A hill 

 flock of ewes should clip, on an average, 4^ Ibs. each of fine 



