98 



house-feeding well, both in the case of ram lambs for breeding 

 and of cast ewes being fed fat. 



Character of the Wool. The wool is wavy, loose and shaggy, 

 nearly touching the ground ; much stronger and more hairlike and 

 kempy than Cheviot wool. It is mostly used in carpet-making, and 

 large quantities of it are exported to the United States for this 

 purpose. The fleece averages 3^ to 4^ Ib. for ewes, up to 5 Ib. for 

 the best mountain ewe flocks, and 7 Ib. for wethers. Black or blue 

 spots on the neck, tail, or other parts of the wool-producing part of 

 the skin are objectionable. 



An exceptionally strong-woolled variety of the breed has been 

 developed during the last 35 years by Mr. Charles Howatson, of 

 Glenbuck, and other breeders following his lines ; and sheep of this 

 strain, receiving a liberal supply of food, produce immense fleeces. 

 During recent years it has come to be widely believed that the 

 development of long strong wool has been carried too far ; 

 especially when associated with the fashionable short-legged Show- 

 yard Sheep it is a serious disadvantage in snow and a danger to the 

 first lambs of young ewes, as they may fail to find the mother's 

 teats. The advocates of fine wool do not want a short dense coat 

 like that of a Cheviot sheep, but a thick-set mellow wool, of good 

 length and as uniform as possible all over the body. Sheep 

 continue to yield heavy fleeces of this class of wool when they are 

 aged. The ram lambs are usually wintered under cover, and do 

 well if not over fed. 



Crossing. The older ewes are taken to lower grazings and crossed 

 with Longwool rams. In Scotland the Border Leicester is almost 

 exclusively used, the resulting progeny being known as " Cross " 

 lambs ; in the North of England and to some extent in the South- 

 West of Scotland Wensleydale rams are also favoured, the lambs 

 being called " Mashams " or in Scotland " Yorkshire Crosses." 

 Both these crosses are bred in large numbers and are either sold as 

 fat lambs or as stores to be fattened off in arable districts in winter. 

 The Border Leicester produces a quicker growing, better backed, 

 and more easily fattened lamb, but the Wensleydale crosses can be 

 fed to greater weights without becoming too fat and the mutton is 

 of higher quality. 



There is no Blackface Flock Book, but every breeder keeps care- 

 ful records and the Blackface Sheep Breeders' Association looks 

 after the interests of the breed. 



Blackface (" Mountain ") Sheep at the Smithfield Show, 1902-1911. 



