THE CHEVIOT SHEEP. SSI 



wool of which is of valuable texture, and the mut- 

 ton in the greatest esteem, on account of its flavour. 

 The animals thrive on the most sterile heaths; and 

 are capable of supporting all the severities of 

 winter, with no other food than what the heaths 

 produce, except during the deep 9ows, when they 

 are occasionally supplied with hay. 



Great improvements have, of late years, been 

 made in the Cheviot Sheep ; and from the success 

 with which these have hitherto been attended, there 

 is reason to hope that the remaining defects, par- 

 ticularly in the wool, in the fore quarter wanting 

 depth, and in that and the chine wanting a suit- 

 able degree of width, will, by due care, be soon 

 corrected. 



The breeders of these Sheep do not suffer the 

 Ewes to produce young till they are three year* 

 old; and a year and a half afterwards they are sold 

 to graziers, who feed both them and their Lambs 

 in the following summer. The wethers, at the age 

 of three years and a half, are sold for about four 

 and twenty shillings each ; and, after being kept 

 near twelve months on grass, they leave a profit of 

 from ten to twelve shillings each. 



It has been an old and general, but to the animals 

 certainly an injurious practice, to milk the Ewes of 

 this breed for eight or ten weeks after the Lambs 

 are weaned. From this milk, great quantities of 

 cheese are made, which is sold at a low price. This, 

 when three or four years old, becomes exceedingly 



pungent; 



