The Border Leicester*. 139 



is come, the farmer will often give you the choice 

 of " yow or cow " when the cheese is put upon the 

 table. The lambs are dipped a week after the ewes 

 are clipped, so as to keep the ewes clean. Wether 

 hoggs should be quick off the shears, and not be 

 kept above fourteen months, when they generally 

 reach from 18 to iQlbs. a quarter."* Their wool 

 averages from 7 to 81bs. all round, and a highly-fed 



* Since the introduction of so much artificial feeding, the size has 

 been considerably increased, and the ewes are generally fatted off after 

 three crops of lambs at from 261bs. to 3olbs. a quarter. St. Ninian's, 

 near Wooller, is the great fair, late in September, for the cast ewes, but 

 some are sold at Cornhill, where they made as much as 63^. to 6os. 

 three autumns since. Penrith dealers have been the principal ewr 

 buyers at St. Ninian's for the last five-and-forty years, and take on 

 nearly all the lots to the York and Harewood fairs. The best ewes are 

 nearly always picked up by the dealers in the pastures, and the price is 

 governed by St. Ninian's. Mid-ewe lambs are not sold, but are gene- 

 rally fed off as shearlings with the wether hoggs and the shot gimmers. 

 Some of the best gimmers have fetched 2O/. apiece to go to Ireland. 

 Lord Polwarth's rams, as well as those of a few other flock-masters, 

 were sold by auction at home for many years. In 1846 the Kelso 

 public sales were established on the second Thursday in September, and 

 350 rams were entered, but I3/. was the highest price. Lord Polwarth's 

 were first brought to Kelso in 1852. In 1820 his lordship's home- 

 average had only been 3/. 15^. for 35 ; whereas in 1865 it was 

 37/. iSs. lo^d. at Kelso for the same number. His lordship's top 

 sheep went for 957. that year, and for io6/. in 1867. The supply of 

 rams has become so large, that some breeders have preferred taking 

 their lots into the Edinburgh sale-ring ; but even with this slight take 

 off, upwards of 2300 rams, the property of between fifty and sixty 

 breeders, are sold annually in the four rings at Kelso.' There are two 

 or three grades of purchasers among the Irishmen, who come over in 

 large numbers. Some go up to I5/., but a great many cannot be 

 tempted beyond 7/. The Caithness men bid with great spirit, and there 

 is generally a commission from North Wales, at least every other year. 

 Lord Penrhyn is in the habit of getting them to cross his pure Leicesters. 

 The cross produces a hardier sheep, with wool as fine and a little 

 longer in the staple. The order of sale in the four rings is decided by 

 lot. Lord Polwarth's always make a very high average, however low 

 down in the list they may be drawn ; but it militates very severely 

 against the great majority of the lots if they are put up after two o'clock. 

 Still, a lot of 85 from a noted breeder has made as much as ill. 2s. 8J., 

 and 100 have also gone off pretty late in the afternoon at io/. I2s. yd. 

 [For description of Kelso Ram Fair, see "Field and Fern" (South), 

 pp. 150-56.] 



