TIREY. AGRICULTURE. 41 



, crops, and a system of enclosure and division, are the 

 obvious and necessary preliminaries to any amelioration in 

 this department of insular farming. The breeds of cattle 

 are small, and do not materially vary in the several islands ; 

 except where they have, in the improved ones, experienced 

 recent attention : and it seems generally thought that 

 they are not susceptible of any exchange for the better, 

 nor of any other amelioration than such as may be founded 

 on a good selection of individuals. Compared to the 

 breeding of cattle, that of sheep must be considered as a 

 modern improvement, or an innovation upon the ancient 

 system. Formerly this animal was only reared for do- 

 mestic consumption ; and St. Kilda is now the only island 

 where the ancient breed, supposed to be of Nor- 

 wegian extraction, is still to be seen retaining exclusive 

 possession of the soil. This wretched race is nearly 

 extirpated every where else, having given way to that 

 variety known by the name of the Tweedale breed ; the 

 Cheviot having been as yet but partially introduced, and 

 not being at present expected, from the circumstances of 

 the climate, to gain an extensive footing*. The deficiency 

 of winter food is the principal defect in the sheep farming, 

 as it is in the case of the black cattle ; but in both there 

 is a still more serious evil in the management, namely, 

 the overstocking of the farms. This excess in the num- 

 bers both of the sheep and cattle is visible almost every 

 where, and its results are such as might be expected. 

 It will naturally subside as joint farms become divided 

 and small ones consolidated by the spreading of improve- 

 ment ; besides that it will gradually cease to be felt as 

 the cultivation of winter food increases. The opinions 

 respecting the propriety of an increase of sheep farming 

 have been unfortunately so much connected with the 



* The sheep farmers of Sutherland are now of opinion that this 

 variety is perfectly adapted to the climate of the Highlands, and that its 

 more extended introduction will be an essential improvement of the 

 present system. August 1818. 



