THE CHEVIOT BREED. 89 



curious fact, and one upon which little light can be thrown. 

 The most probable explanation is that the Cheviot breed is 

 a survival of breeds of sheep once prevalent in different parts 

 of Scotland, more or less resembling each other, and the 

 Cheviot sheep of the present day. While these races have 

 disappeared, the Cheviot has held his own, and not only so 

 but has been improved and extended into many other 

 localities, both north and south of his native hills. Towards 

 the close of the last century, and up to comparatively recent 

 times, the Cheviot breed was slowly displacing the Black- 

 faces, but, as already mentioned, a reaction in favour of the 

 hardier sheep has set in, owing to a series of severe winters. 



Mr. David Archibald tells us that little attempt at im- 

 proving Cheviot sheep was possible until the end of the 

 border feuds and forays which disturbed the peace of the 

 border land in the days of Johnnie Armstrong and other 

 blackmailers and freebooters. It was not until about fifty 

 years after the Act of Union, in 1707, that Mr. Robson, of 

 Belford, worked out the improvement of the Cheviot sheep. 

 In Douglas's " Survey of Roxburghshire," published in 1796, 

 and in the " Farmers' Magazine" for 1803, some interesting 

 particulars as to the early improvement of Cheviot sheep are 

 given. In the first of these publications it is narrated that, 

 " Mr. John Edmistoun, late of Mindrum, Mr. James Robson, 

 then at Philhope, and Mr. Charles Kerr, then at Ricaltoun, 

 went to Lincolnshire about the year 1756, and bought four- 

 teen tups, with which they crossed their sheep with great 

 success." The statements made in the "Farmers' Magazine" 

 are equally clear. Giving " an account of the Northumber- 

 land breed of sheep, and the progressive improvements 

 thereupon made," a contributor, signing himself, " A North- 

 umberland Farmer," incidentally mentions Mr. Robson's 

 selection of these rams, proving that there was a current 

 opinion in the district to this effect. These Lincoln tups 

 so improved Mr. Robson's stock as to give his sheep a 

 decided superiority over those of his neighbours, and for 



