Live SfocK. Sh-eep Herdwick and Cheviot Breeds Defcrip/ions of. 67&amp;lt;) 



and flavour. Weight per quarter from islbs. to i61bs. Wool open, coarfe, and 

 fhagged. This is an extremely active and hardy breed, which is firft met with in 

 the more north-weftern parts of Yorkmire, whence it has extended itfclf over the 

 extenfive mountainous tract of country on the borders of the Irifh Sea, which 

 ftretches from Lancafhire to Fort- William in the weftern Highlands of Scotland. 

 The great objection to it is the coarfenefs of the fleece.* Thefe (heep are very 

 active and hardy, which has rendered their introduction into the high mountain 

 ous expofed diftricts advantageous. They are moftly fattened about the third or 

 fourth year, at which age they are found to anfwer the beft. They afford a very 

 fuperior fort of mutton. 



It is probable, that they might be much improved in their coats by being cro- 

 fed with fome of the larger fine-woolled breeds. 



The Herdwick breed \s diftinguifhed by having no horns ; by the face and legs 

 being fpeckled, the larger the portion of white with fewer black fpots, the purer 

 the breed ; legs fine, fmall and clean. Weight per quarter in the ewes from 61bs. 

 to 8lbs.j in the wethers at four years- and a half old from cjlbs. to iilbs*. 

 Wool fhort, thick and matted in the fleece.f 



This breed is peculiar to the elevated mountainous trad: of country at the head 

 of the rivers Efk and Duddon in Cumberland, where they are let to herds, whence 

 the name. They are faid to poflefs the property, of being extremely hardy in con- 

 ftitution. 



This fmall breed is fo extremely hardy, as- to fupport itfelf on the rocky bare 

 mountains with the trifling fupport of a little hay in the winter feafon ;, fcratching 

 down to the heatrr during the fnows. 



The ewes, from the nature of the climate, produce their lambs late ; but which, 

 when dropped, are well woolled. They are generally kept as long as they produce 

 lambs. 



The wether flock is moftly difpofed of from the mountains, without being put 

 in the paftures, at from four to five years old. 



The fleece in this breed is finer than in that of the preceding ; but coarfer than 

 any of the mort-woolled breeds. They ftand-in need of a crofs , with fome of the 

 fjner-woolled breeds. 



The Cheviot breed of (beep is known by the want of: horns ; by the face and: 

 legs being moftly white, and the eyes lively and prominent j the body long ; little 



* Gulley on Live Stock, t Ibid, . 



