146 WESTMORLAND AGRICULTURE, 1800— 1900 



improved in many places, but the improvements are made entirely 

 by selection. All the crosses with the Heath sheep, having in view 

 the improvement of the progeny as Heath sheep only, have proved 

 decided failures." 



In 1855 Professor Wilson wrote : " They have horns : those of 

 the male are of large size and spirally twisted, with two or more curves ; 

 in the female sometimes they are absent.* The face is black, rather 

 thick at the muzzle, the eye bright and wild, the body somewhat 

 short and square " " the fleece, which possessed certain defects, has 

 been improved. The wool, which is loose and shaggj', is lessened 

 in value by the ' kemps ' or hairs which are mixed up in it. Many 

 crosses are met with between this breed and others. That with the 

 long-wooled Leicester and with the short-wooled South Down appears 

 to be the most successful." 



Thus was the type being evolved. 



" Many experiments," writes Macdonald,t " have been tried 

 during the history of the Highland breed of sheep with a view to the 

 improvement of its wool. These have been conducted in various 

 parts of the south and north of Scotland, by way of crossing black- 

 faced ewes with tups of other breeds, but the result has invariably 

 been disappointing." " Some time is required," says a sheep farmer, 

 " before the Black-faced stock can be restored to its natural purity 

 after being crossed with tups of other breeds." Prof. Wallace, J after 

 quoting Youatt that " no permanent improvement for their home 

 conditions has been successful by crossing with other races of sheep," 

 continues " nevertheless the changing of a black-faced into a Cheviot 

 stock by the constant use of Cheviot tups, and vice-versa, was a common 

 and successful practice during the early period of competition between 

 the two breeds." In spite of this negative evidence, there is no doubt 

 but the very extensive crossing which has taken place continuously 

 from before the commencement of the century has been a material 

 factor in evolving the present Scotch black-faced type of sheep from 

 the Black-faced common sheep of 100 years ago ; has in fact made 

 selection possible. The intermixture has been so extensive that it has 



* The result of crossing with some hornless breed such as the Herdwicks or Leicesters. 

 \ Highland and Agricultural Society Journal, 1884. 

 %Farm Live Stock 0/ Great Britain, 1907. 



