242 FIELD AND FERN. 



flockmasters cling to — that the Cheviots are as hardy 

 when they are well turniped as hoggs. With him the 

 winter of ^60 did comparatively little damage to the 

 blackfaces. They can fight their own battle, and do 

 even better than the hay-fed Cheviots. They work 

 up the hill and hunt the country fair for their food^ 

 under difficulties ; whereas the Cheviots (which are 

 straighter behind and not so free in the hock for hill 

 climbing) will lie at the foot and lose courage in the 

 snow. The " curly horns" have another advantage, 

 that they will thrive on high mossy land, whereas the 

 Cheviots require much lower quarters. If the two are 

 kept on coarse wild land, four Cheviots eat as much 

 meat as five blackfaces ; but if the land is superior, as 

 in Roxburghshire, you cannot increase them to the 

 same extent. Others, on the contrary, think that, 

 instead of keeping a score more blackfaces for every 

 five score of Cheviots, you should read for every fif- 

 teen score. They will also eat coarse stuff which the 

 daintier Cheviots won't touch, but the price of wool 

 and their slower maturity will be always against 

 them. 



A three-year-old Cheviot v/edder will make 36s. or 

 o7s. by his carcase, and 9s. by his wool; whereas 27s. to 

 30s., and 4s. 6d. for wool, is all that can be set down 

 for a blackface. The difference is strikingly seen in 

 this, that a Cheviot shepherd can get £48 for the 

 wool and lambs of his 46 ewes on a hirsel of 38 score, 

 whereas a blackface shepherd can only get £SS. 

 Again we have the comparison, 23s. for the 24lb. stone 



