334 



Selling Sheep. 



Vol. XI. 



particular kind of stock you have to show. 

 No one, on pretence of purchasing, has a 

 right to interfere with a lot which is under 

 inspection by another party. Neither have 

 you any right to show your lot to more than 

 one party at a time, unless each party con- 

 sent to it. When a bargain is made, there 

 is no necessity for striking hands, or ex- 

 changing money, as an earnest of it. When 

 a bargain is made, a time may be stipulated 

 by the purchaser for lifting the stock; and, 

 until they are delivered to him or his accre- 

 dited agents, they continue at the risk of the 

 seller. When counted over before the pur- 

 chaser, the price becomes immediately due. 

 When the money is paid, there is no obliga- 

 tion on the seller to give a discount off the 

 price, or a luck-penny, as it is termed ; but 

 purchasers sometimes makes offers in a way 

 to humour the prejudices of the seller — that 

 is, they offer the price demanded, on condi- 

 tion of getting back a certain sum, or amount 

 of luck-penny, to bring the price down to 

 their own ideas ; in such a case, when such 

 an offer is accepted, the seller must return 

 the luck-penny conditioned for, when he re- 

 ceives the money. Sometimes, when par- 

 ties cannot agree as to price, the offerer pro- 

 poses to abide by the decision of a third 

 party; but, in doing this, you virtually relin- 

 quish your power over your own stock. 

 Sometimes bills and bank-postbills are ten- 

 dered by dealers in part or entire payment 

 of what they purchase; but it is in your 

 power to refuse any form of cash but the 

 legal tender of the country, such as Bank 

 of England notes, or gold, or silver. If a 

 bill of exchange or promissory note is prof- 

 fered, instead of ready money, you are quite 

 entitled to refuse the bargain ; for the usage 

 of trade in a fair implies the condition of 

 ready money ; or you niay demand a higher 

 price to cover the risk of the bill being dis- 

 honoured. The notes of any bank you know 

 to be good, you will, of course, not refuse. 

 Afler the stock are delivered, they are at 

 the risk of the purchaser. Some dealers' 

 top^s-men — that is, the men who take charge 

 of their master's lots after delivery — demand 

 a gratuity for their trouble, which you are 

 at liberty to refuse. All these rules, in as 

 far as relates to money and the delivery of 

 stock, apply to the stock purchased by deal- 

 ers on your own farm. When you purchase 

 stock at a fair, people will be found on the 

 ground willing to render your drover assist- 

 ance in taking them out of it, and of setting 

 them fairly on the road. Such people are 

 useful on such occasions, as it may happen, 

 especially in the case of sheep, that one or 

 more may break away from their own flock 

 and mix with another, when there may not 



only be difficulty in shedding them out, but 

 those into whose lot yours have strayed may 

 show unwillingness to have their stock dis- 

 turbed for your sake, though it is in your 

 power to follow your strayed stock, and 

 claim it anywhere by the wool-mark. 



On the supposition that you send sheep to 

 London by steam on your own account, they 

 should be of the following description, to 

 command the best prices, and unless they 

 are so you had much better dispose of them 

 at home. They should be ripe, compact, 

 and of light weight ; carrying a large pro- 

 portion of lean on the back, loins, and shoul- 

 ders, with a full, round leg and handsome 

 carcass. Such, from 14 lbs. to 20 lbs. a 

 quarter, will take readily, but they will draw 

 the most money at 16 lbs. to 18 lbs. The 

 nearer in their form and quality they ap- 

 proach the South-downs, the more likely to 

 command top prices. True bred Cheviots 

 and the Black-faced Linton breed approach 

 very near to the South-down, and command 

 as high a price. Half-breds, between Lei- 

 cester tups and the above sorts of Cheviot 

 and Black-faced ewes, form valuable sheep. 

 The old Black-faced breed are too thin, and 

 therefore styled goaty in Smithfiield, and 

 when only half-fat, or half-mealed, as the 

 condition is there termed, fetch middling 

 prices, however good their flavor may be. 

 Pure bred Leicesters are too fat, unless sent 

 young, and not exceeding 20 lbs. a quarter, 

 but above that weight, fetch inferior prices, 

 so much so that a difference of only Id. per 

 lb. may perhaps constitute all the difference 

 between a profit and loss on their export. 

 This last remark applies to every other 

 breed, and shows the expediency of only 

 exporting the best form of sheep. 



Never attempt to drive stock on foot on 

 your own account to a distant market, when 

 you have steam conveyance to the place of 

 destination. A simple comparison of the 

 results of the two methods of travelling, 

 will show you at once the advantage of 

 steam conveyance. It has been ascertained 

 that a journey of 400 miles on land causes 

 a loss of six stones out of forty stones, or 

 12 per cent. ; whereas the loss by steam is 

 only two stones out of fifly. But besides 

 this great difference in the loss itself, the 

 state in which the remainder of the flesh is 

 \eiX it is worth 6d. a stone less after land 

 travel ; and when stock are sent to graze in 

 that state, they require a month to take with 

 the {xisture, whereas the steam-carried will 

 thrive again at the end of a fortnight. Be- 

 sides all these disadvantages of land travel, 

 the juices of the meat of fat stock never 

 recover their natural state, while, by being 

 carried by steam, they do. Were heavy and 



