362 FIELD AND FERX. 



croppers have nearly all disappeared, save at Mac- 

 kinnon's of Corrie. 



The sheep farms are generally held on leases of 

 from fifteen to nineteen years. Half the island is 

 under sheep, and its sad lack of straths is very 

 slightly compensated by a sweet bite along the 

 streams. There is no luxuriant heather, and the 

 climate is too wet for lime-dressing. The sheep drains 

 are eighteen inches in width and depth. Black- 

 faces have gradually retreated before the Cheviots ; 

 but Macdonald of Skirnish is strong in the old faith. 

 He gets his tups from Lanarkshire, and his " crock 

 ewes" are sold at five years old at Falkirk or Inverness 

 character market. Scott of Drynoch is one of the 

 largest Cheviot men, and he generally keeps and 

 sells his wedders at JFalkirk. Nearly all the farmers 

 sell wedder lambs, and get them away before Aug. 12. 

 Dealers come round on the Monday before the Sep- 

 tember fair at Portree, and buy by the clad score, 

 but there is no pitched sheep market in the islands. 

 There is a good deal of sturdy, but flockmasters gene- 

 rally prefer taking it short, and " take the head off in- 

 stead of probing for the blot." Braxy is terribly 

 severe upon the hoggs; and if they were not sent 

 away into Ross-shire, Inverness-shire, and the Black 

 Isle to turnips, no farm could keep itself in stock. 

 Even the Cheviot breeders have a taste for blackface, 

 and buy a few wedders from the smaller tenants to 

 put on to islands and parks, and kill them one by one 

 as the giant did the children. The ewes are gene- 



