EXTRAS AND ALLOWANCES IN KIND. 101 



their employers. The shepherd's ' pack ' is fed, clipped, 

 washed, etc., and sold with his employer's flock. The 

 size of the shepherd's ' pack ' varies in different counties 

 and different districts according to prevailing customs 

 and to the class of sheep kept. He often has the keep of 

 one and sometimes two or three cows, and also the keep 

 of one and sometimes two ' followers ' (calves) for a year. 

 In parts of the Highlands, shepherds also have two or 

 three acres of land called ' crofts/ part of which is generally 

 planted with potatoes. A perquisite which is frequently 

 allowed to shepherds, more particularly in the Highlands, 

 is the right to the carcasses of ' fallen ' sheep which have 

 died from no disease rendering the flesh harmful for con- 

 sumption. It is called ' braxy ' mutton, because the sheep 

 taken by the shepherds have usually died of a disease 

 called braxy, which is a sort of inflammation. The flesh 

 of these sheep is dried and is frequently eaten by the 

 shepherds and labourers in the Highlands. Generally a 

 shepherd is allowed a definite number of such carcasses, 

 but sometimes all the sheep which die of braxy in the flock 

 under his charge. Another small perquisite is waste wool 

 at clipping-time (i.e. matted or dirty wool, sometimes 

 called ' clarty ' wool), and wool found on bushes, etc., known 

 in the Highlands as ' brock ' wool. In some districts 

 shepherds get some food given to them at particular times 

 when the work is especially hard, such as at clipping, 

 marking, etc." 



We have now given in considerable detail information 

 as to the extra earnings, perquisites, " privileges/' or 

 whatever else they may be called, in order to present 

 the fullest possible information of the entire proceeds 

 which the Scottish agricultural labourer derives from 

 his calling. Whilst it is not claimed that the statements 

 are absolutely exhaustive, they present as complete a 

 representation of the case as it is possible to give within 

 moderate limits. 



