536 SHEEP MOUNTAIN AND MOORLAND 



the large proportion of young sheep which died when 

 brought on (as compared with sheep bred on the ground) 

 to the hill land in Argyllshire and many other districts of 

 the West Highlands and other places, it became an almost 

 universal custom in letting a farm to tie the sheep to it in 

 the contract made by lease the stock to be taken over 

 from the tenant at the termination of a lease at a valuation 

 made by a representative nominated by each of the two 

 individuals concerned, and an oversman. The prices paid 

 were at first reasonable, and in accordance with the advan- 

 tages gained by the sheep being kept on the land ; but all 

 the area to which valuations applied, especially in the 

 Southern Highlands of Scotland, was not deathly country 

 like the West Highlands, and still the prices all went up 

 in the prosperous times for sheep farmers, until in many 

 places in the seventies from IDS. to 2os. per head more was 

 paid for sheep at valuation than they were worth in the 

 market. These proportions did not adjust themselves as 

 market prices of sheep produce fell, and farmers' outlays 

 for wintering increased, till at the present day the extra 

 sum the proprietor has ultimately to pay for the stock does 

 not fall far short of the reduced capital value of the land. 

 The removal of the sheep from the land turned into deer 

 forest about the end of the nineteenth century was in a 

 great measure due to the fact that, on much of the mountain 

 land where the death-rate of sheep was high, sheep would 

 no longer pay the farmer to keep, even if he had no rent 

 to pay (see the Welsh custom, p. 560). 



The Scotch Blackface Highland Breed is smaller and 

 hardier than the Cheviot, and it thrives better on coarse 

 pasture, such as black, heathery, and moory land. 



Points. The face and legs are black or mottled ("brocket") 

 (but the colours should be distinct, clear, and free from dun 

 or brown), smooth and glossy. Black on the face is in favour 

 with those who breed cross-lambs to make the lambs dark, 

 as they sell better in consequence, although ewes with black 

 faces are often hard and slower feeders than those with 

 mottled ones. No wool should appear among the hair, 

 although the remains of a tassel on the forehead and of 

 fringes on the cheeks and legs have often to be dressed 

 off well-bred sheep in preparing for exhibition. Such sheep 



