CHAPTER LIII 

 THE CHEVIOT 



The native home of the Cheviot breed of sheep is in the border 

 country between England and Scotland, especially in the counties 

 of Roxburgh (Scotland) and Northumberland (England). On the 

 east these two counties are bordered by the North Sea. The 

 country is hilly or mountainous, rising to an elevation of nearly 

 three thousand feet in the section known as the Cheviot Hills. 

 The hillsides are free of timber, excepting in the case of small 

 artificial plantings, but are covered with short, nutritious grass. 

 The climate is moist and rough, snow falling frequently in winter, 

 although not usually attaining much depth. The country is sup- 

 plied with many mountain streams, and the river Tweed and its 

 tributaries drain much of the Scotch Cheviots. A great woolen 

 industry is conducted in this region, with Kelso on the Tweed and 

 Hawick on the Teviot as important centers. 



The origin of the Cheviot is obscure^like most other breeds. 

 Cheviots have been bred in the border country from very early 

 times. In 1791 David Irving published a letter in the 'Annals of 

 Agriculture " relating to experiments by him on Cheviots com- 

 mencing in 1777. The Cheviot has been crossed more or less 

 with Black Faced Highland, Leicester, Southdown, and Merino, 

 and the character of the breed has undergone great changes 

 through careful selection, but the influence of the breeds men- 

 tioned has not been notable. In 1 796 Naismyth wrote l that the 

 Cheviot was well polled, was smooth and white of face and leg or 

 somewhat mixed with black or brown. There was a tendency to 

 too much leg, the shoulders were thin in some individuals, and 

 the fleece was generally close and even, the wool soft and fine, 

 from two to three and one-half inches long. He further says : 

 "The same kind of sheep have fed in this district (Cheviot Hills) 

 from time immemorial ; nor does anybody allege that they were 



1 Annals of Agriculture, Vol. XXVII, p. 55. 

 597 



