i82 WESTMORLAND AGRICULTURE, 1800— 1900 



shilling for refreshments, but at that date it was increased to 1/6, 

 and there was a provision for the entertainment of members of other 

 associations attending the meetings. A committee man was appointed 

 for each township whose duty it was to see that the rules were carried 

 out, the breaking of which was met either by fines not exceeding i/- 

 or exclusion from the benefits of the Association. The wood cuts 

 of the sheep in the issues of the amalgamated Associations were mere 

 outlines and compared unfavourably with the early editions of the 

 West Fells, with their well-engraved sheep, smits in colour, and 

 croppings correctly shown. The full title of their publication is 

 " The Shepherds' Guide, also a proper deUneation of the Wool, Horn, 

 and Ear marks of all the Members' Sheep," and out of 1578 entries 

 only 44 use no horn bum or the horn burn is uncertain. 



In 1879 a Shepherds' Guide was compiled by Daniel Gate, of 

 Keswick, for the West Fells, comprising parts of Cvunberland, West- 

 morland, and North Lonsdale. The Westmorland parishes included 

 in it were : Ambleside, Applethwaite, Askham, Bampton, Barton, 

 Birker Fells, Crosby Ravensworth, Grasmere, Great Langdale, Helton, 

 Kentmere, Langdale, Longsleddale, Loughrigg, Mardale, Martindale, 

 Measand, Orton, Patterdale, Rosgill, Rydal, Shap, Swindale, Troutbeck, 

 and Wetsleddale. The illustrations in this Guide are engravings 

 from photographs of two of Edward Hawell's prize sheep. 



In 1840 the Revd. W. Sewell, of Troutbeck, bought a parcel of 

 land at Kirkstone top and built the Inn. The following year John 

 Longmire, of Longmire, and others interested in the matter organized 

 a shepherds' meeting at the Inn, which has been held there annually 

 ever since. It is held on the last Saturday in November. 



For many years now the largest of the Shepherds' Meets is that at 

 the Dun Bull Inn in Mardale — it is held in the latter part of November 

 each year. By the aid of the smit-book some hundreds of sheep are 

 identified and claimed by their owners. 



