156 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 3. 



Another cross has also been attempted between 

 the pure Ryeland and the new Leicester breeds; 

 but although the weight of the carcass has been 

 thereby much increased, yet it can only be sup- 

 ported on land of a much richer kind than that on 

 which the native sheep are usually ted, and it is 

 probable, that if persevered in, on such soils, it 

 would materially injure the mutton, while its im- 

 mediate effect was certainly detrimental to the 

 wool.* 



In some of the neighboring counties to Here- 

 fordshire, both in England and Wales, there is a 

 breed of sheep very much resembling the Rye- 

 lands, known as the Shropshire morf. They bear 

 wool of a fine quality; generally have white faces 

 and legs, though sometimes a little freckled; are 

 light in the bone, and have small clean limbs. 

 There are two species, which, from inattention to 

 the breeds, are often blended. The one polled, 

 the other having small, light, erooked horns — a 

 still smaller variety, bred on the mountains, and 

 in high estimation for the table; but which is 

 generally known under the common denomination 

 of Welch. 



XIV. The Cheviot Sheep were originally bred 

 upon the hilly districts in the north-west "part of 

 Northumberland, but have since spread over 

 many of the mountainous tracts in the neighbor- 

 ing counties, and have even nearly superseded the 

 horned breed of black-faced sheep in some parts 

 of the Highlands of Scotland.! They are horn- 

 less, and tbeir faces and legs are in general white, 

 though formerly the prevailing color was black; 

 some, however, still retain a portion of black 

 about the nose; and others have the face slightly 

 tinged with yellow. The best breeds have an 

 open countenance, with lively prominent eyes; 

 long bodies, and fine, clean, small-boned limbs, 

 but wanting depth in the breast, and on the chine. 

 They are seldom slaughtered until they have at- 

 tained the age of three to four and a half years, 

 when the fat wethers will average from 16 lbs. to 

 22 lbs. per quarter, and in some instances still 

 higher, fattening kindly, and producing mutton of 

 excellent quality. Formerly the average was 

 much lower, not exceeding 12 lbs. to 18 lbs., and 

 they were kept longer before they were brought to 

 market; but great improvements have been "made 

 in this stock within the last twenty years. The 

 weight of the fleece has also been increased in 

 some of the best flocks from 2h to 3^, to as much 

 as 4 lbs. to 4i lbs.;J but the wool is inferior to that 

 of most other of the short-woolled polled breeds, 

 and appears to have been injured by some late at- 

 tempts to improve the carcass. § It is, also, fur- 

 ther deteriorated in the eye of the woolstapler, by 

 the practice of smearing, or salving, as it is term- 

 ed, of the flocks pastured on the most elevated 

 hills, with a mixture of oil or butter with tar and 



* Agricultural Survey of Herefordshire, p. 121. 



t See the evidence of the Right Hon. Lord Napier, 

 before the Committee of the House of Lords, on the 

 Wool Trade, 1823. Minutes, p. 15. 



i See Farm Report for the County of Sutherland, 

 published by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful 

 Knowledge, in the "Farmer's Series," for 1831, 

 No. 18. 



§ See the evidence of Mr. Sutcliffe, Minutes, p. 

 183. 



turpentine, in order to protect them against the in- 

 clemency of winter: this custom, however, is now 

 nearly disused in the lowlands, though in many 

 places it is yet thought advantageous to the 

 fleece.* . 



The sheep known as the Herdwick Breed, 

 though smaller than the Cheviot, and only lbund 

 in one rocky and mountainous district at the head 

 of the Duddon and Esk rivers, in Cumberland, 

 appear to be only a variety of the same race. The 

 wethers and ewes are all polled: their laces and 

 legs are speckled; but a great portion of white 

 with a few black spots are accounted marks of the 

 purest breed; of which also the hornless are tups; 

 for when these are lbund with horns, they are con- 

 sidered as descended from a cross with the com- 

 mon black-faced heath species, and their wool ia 

 then generally intermixed with hemps, or hairs. 



They arc a hardy breed, well adapted to seek 

 their food amongst the rocks which they inhabit; 

 which are in many places bare, and, where cover- 

 ed, the soil is thin, but the herbage mostly green, 

 though heath is found on the summits. They 

 have no hay in winter, but support themselves in 

 the deepest snows by scratching down to the her- 

 bage, and should any part be blown bare, they are 

 sure to discover it. In storms they gather to- 

 gether, and keep stirring about, by which means 

 they tread down the snow, keep above it, and are 

 rarely overblown. The lambs are protected by 

 nature, being well covered with wool when they 

 are dropped. 



The ewes are kept as long as they will breed, 

 which is often until ten and even fifteen years of 

 age: the wethers go off at the same age as the old 

 Cheviots. Both ewes and wethers are sold from 

 the mountains, and killed without being put on 

 any belter pasture, yet are sufficiently fat, and the 

 wethers will weigh about 10 lbs. to 12 lbs. a 

 quarter: the ewes from 6 lbs. to 8 lbs. From be- 

 ing fed on heath and mountain plants, the flesh 

 acquires a peculiarly fine flavor, when these are in 

 blossom, from July till September, and is then es- 

 teemed a great delicacy; but, when out of season, 

 the mutton is dry and indifferent. 



The mountains on which these sheep are bred 

 are the property of Lord Muncaster, who is also 

 proprietor of the flocks that depasture them; and 

 having, from time immemorial, been farmed out 

 together to herds, it is thought that, from this cir- 

 cumstance, the farms have obtained the name of 

 Herdwicks, or the district of the herds; from which 

 the sheep have also received their title. They 

 are chiefly in the hands of one family, of the name 

 of Tyson, which is said to have been settled in 

 that sequestered spot above four hundred years.^ 



Another variety, termed the Dun-faced breed, 

 is found in the exposed northern districts of this 

 island. The faces of the sheep are of a dun, or 

 tawny color: the animals are smaller in size; have 

 short tails; and are not so hardy as the preceding 

 sort. The wool is variously streaked with black, 

 red, brown, or dun, and partly of a fine texture, 

 weighing about a pound and a half per fleece, 



* 12 lbs. of butter mixed With 4 lbs. of tar, are used 

 for the salving of twenty-four sheep: the expense 

 about sixpence each. 



t Agricultural Survey of Cumberland. Chap. XIII r 

 Sect. 11. 



