148 WESTMORLAND AGRICULTURE, 1800— 1900 



the ewe the horns, which also spring horizontally, are small, thin, 

 flattened and curved, but not spirally twisted. The ears are short 

 and small, and not much looked to in judging. The back is broad 

 all the way along. The tail is short, and is not often lower than the 

 hocks. The wool is wavy, loose and shaggy, hanging down nearly 

 to the ground, stronger and more hair-like and kempy than Cheviot 

 wool. The fleeces average from 3|- to 4J lbs. from ewes. It is usually 

 clipped unwashed. 



Robt. Rawlingson, of Docker, was one of the earliest pure Scotch 

 sheep breeders in the county, buying the nucleus of his flock from 

 Col. Howatson. Three of his rams, "Alston," "Wee John," and "Tom 

 Tip," won at several of the Highland Shows from 1867 to 1877. 



In 1864 when the Royal Show was at Newcastle the classes were 

 for " Black-faced " sheep, the prizes for aged and shearling rains 

 being taken by Wni. Ward, of Forest Hall, A. W. Long, of Mint Cottage, 

 taking a reserve number. At Manchester, in 1869, there were two 

 classes for Black-faced Scotch sheep, when J. Irving, of Shap Abbey, 

 won the principal prize. In 1877, at Liverpool, Wm. Hindson, of 

 Sleddale Hall, Shap, won first prizes in both the aged and shearling 

 ram classes ; and of six prizes awarded for these sheep, when the 

 Royal Show was at Preston in 1885, five of them were divided between 

 R. Rawlingson, of Docker, and J. Irving, of Forest Hall, the rest of 

 the prizes going into Scotland. 



For many years now the Dargue family, first father and now sons, 

 have been at the head of the Westmorland breeders of Scotch Black- 

 faced sheep, taking prizes at all the principal agricultural shows. The 

 pure breed is held in very few hands, and in point of numbers repre- 

 sents one of the smallest pure breeds in the county, although very 

 many thousands of ordinary Scotch ewes are bought every year for 

 crossing purposes with Border Leicesters or Wensleydale rams for 

 breeding half-bred lambs. 



(2) Rough Fell. — The sheep of the county were descended from 

 the black-faced, coarse-wooUed, Heath sheep ; but by crossing with 

 some other kinds, Herdwicks in the west, Cheviots in the north, and 

 the Crag sheep in the south, "many of them have a large portion 

 of white on their faces and legs, some have these parts speckled and 

 others totally black ; they are, in general, horned, high shouldered. 



