THE BLACK-FACED SHEEP. 85 



jaw, and the wool generally is somewhat open and long, and 

 coarse and shaggy." To this I would add that the face is 

 rather black and white than black, and that this interchange 

 of colour ought to be distinct and not blurred. This is what 

 the Highlander calls the " panting," which should be clear or 

 well denned. In Jess improved specimens of the sheep the 

 spine is liable to be traced by a line of hair (kemps) rather 

 than true wool. " The weight," says Youatt, " of one of 

 these sheep when fattened is from 16 to 20 Ibs. per quarter, 

 and the weight of the wool laid or unwashed is about 5 Ibs., 

 and that of a washed fleece 3 Ibs. . . . The weight of one 

 of these Black-faced sheep is about 16 Ibs. per quarter." 

 Turning to Mr. Archibald's article, written in 1884, or fifty 

 years later: " The staple of the wool has been increased 

 in length from 4 or 5 to 8 or 10 inches, and it has been known 

 occasionally to be 15 in. long. The weight of the carcase of 

 eild ewes on good farms commonly averages from 15 Ibs. to 

 1 6 Ibs. per quarter, while in the best flocks they are sometimes 

 equal to 20 Ibs." 



The points which are now looked for in a perfect animal are 

 a thick, broad face, nostrils full, horns low set at the crown 

 and turned backwards rather than forwards, and with a divi- 

 sion or clear space between them. The colour of the face 

 should be black and white, with the black predominating, 

 moderately clear and bright. The carcase points need not be 

 enumerated. A slight tuft of wool on the forehead in young 

 sheep is generally thought to be an indication of good wool. 



The management of Black-faced sheep is simple. The 

 events of turning out the rams, yeaning, castrating, and 

 weaning are all marked ; but the chief point in management 

 appears to be the selection of the grazing grounds. The 

 flocks require the closest attention in winter. As another 

 authority, writing in 1884, said, "For successful sheep-farming, 

 a careful shepherd is the all-important functionary." His best 

 qualification is to direct the sheep according to the nature of 

 the soil and climate and the situation of the farm, in such a 



