-^~3Z SOUTHDOWN SHEPHERD 



and said, " Put her back." Often it was to keep 

 the sheep out of turnips or wheat, there being no 

 fences. But he made it a practice to walk himself 

 on the side where care was needed, so as not to 

 employ the dog unless necessary. 



There is something almost Australian in the 

 wide expanse of South Down sheepwalks, and in 

 the number of the flocks, to those who have been 

 accustomed to the small sheltered meadows of the 

 vales, where forty or fifty sheep are about the ex- 

 tent of the stock on many farms. The land, too, 

 is rented at colonial prices, but a few shillings per 

 acre, so different from the heavy meadow rents. 

 But, then, the sheep-farmer has to occupy a certain 

 proportion of arable land as well as pasture, and 

 here his heavy losses mainly occur. 



There is nothing, in fact, in this country so 

 carefully provided against as the possibility of an 

 English farmer becoming wealthy. Much down- 

 land is covered with furze; some seems to produce 

 a grass too coarse, so that the rent is really pro- 

 portional. A sheep to an acre is roughly the 

 allowance. 



From all directions along the roads the bleating 

 flocks concentrate at the right time upon the hill- 

 side where the sheep-fair is held. You can go no- 

 where in the adjacent town except uphill, and it 

 needs no hand-post to the fair to those who know 

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