HOUSE-WINTERING BLACKFACE LAMBS 539 



Nether Wellwood ; James Clark, Crossflatt ; T. Scott, Bogside ; 

 T. Hope, West Brownhill ; A. Cowan, Spittalhill, Fintray ; 

 A. McDougall, Claggan ; Robert Lees, Lagg, Ayr ; Robert 

 Cadzow, Weston, Dunsyre. Those who go in for all-wool 

 coats are : John Archibald, Overshiels ; T. Bryden, Burn- 

 castle ; W. Whyte, Spott ; A. Whyte, Glenmoy ; J. A. Gordon, 

 Arabella ; Peter Mclntyre, Tighnablair ; J. Craig, Inner- 

 geldie ; James Greenshields, Westown, Lesmahagow ; and 

 W. A. McTurk, Barlae. Such woolly fleeces cannot be shorn 

 in early spring to come out satisfactorily at the September 

 ram sales, as they " batten " together. This encourages ram 

 breeders to incline to an open, strong coat. 



The advocates of fine wool versus strong wool do not 

 want a short coat like that of a Cheviot sheep, but a thickset 

 mellow wool of good length, and as uniform as possible all 

 over the body. John Craig, of Innergeldie, Perthshire, and 

 the Archibalds, of Overshiels, Stow, have many so-called 

 " all-wool " sheep of this kind in their flocks, and some have 

 in recent years been gaining prizes at the leading shows. 



" Sandy Hole " (Plate CLIL), bred by the late James Craig, 

 of Craigdarroch, was a good example of this class of sheep. 

 He was photographed at Polqueys, at four years old, in June 

 1869. The fleece, shorn immediately after, weighed 15! Ibs. 

 He took ist prize at the Highland Society Show in Aberdeen 

 in 1868, in the hands of the Archibalds, of Overshiels, who 

 had him for three years. 



An important feature of the best of this variety is that 

 they continue to yield heavy fleeces when they are old a 

 quality which should take a first place in those to be con- 

 sidered in selecting rams to rear for breeding. 



The housing of Blackface ram lambs in winter was 

 originated by James Greenshields, Westown, Lanarkshire. 

 He once wintered about 160 tup hoggs in the fields without 

 turnips, giving a moderate allowance of artificial food. 

 About forty of them picked at their food, and refused to eat 

 enough to produce a rise of new wool sufficient to admit of 

 clipping in the end of April at that time thought to be 

 early. As an experiment the shy feeders were put in a 

 large well-ventilated shed, and they took to their food 

 immediately, and in a week or two throve so rapidly that 

 they began to spring in the horn, and, on the same amount 



