246 FIELD AND FERN. 



and Craig from the heights of Black Craig in Ayrshire 

 are all there, vying with each other for sweetness and 

 strength of face, and weight of carcase and wool. 

 The Cheviots are all sold " bare" south of Falkirk ; 

 whereas the clad score is always adhered to in the 

 case of the blackface, which are supposed to be " the 

 inferior clergy." The breeders made a stand about 

 twenty years ago, but the buyers checkmated them, 

 by sending the drum round Lanark to say that none 

 would be bought except they were double clad, and 

 the breeders had to put up with the double injustice 

 that year. Tups are never sold by the clad score, 

 and on Lanark Muir they seldom get as high as 

 £20 nett. 



The show of tups is in June, and the High- 

 landers are the best customers, but do not care for 

 shearlings. They range from £S upwards, but for 

 the leading sellers jg4 to £5 is about the average. 

 The Watsons of Culterallers and Watson^ of Nesbitt 

 are the heads of the profession, and sell some six or 

 seven score between them. Once they were great 

 exhibitors, but they have given it up, and Dryfe took 

 it on, but won principally with tups not bred by him- 

 self. There are three markets in Lanark annually. 



The rough blackfaced ewe hoggs (of which breeders 

 sell fully half their store) are brought out on June 

 3rd in their wool, and are bought up by dealers for 

 crossing in England. At the next market in the 



* This name was omitted by mistake from the list of the Highland Society 

 whmersinp. 89. 



