LOCKERBY TO MOODLAW. 367 



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a fine Roman head_, with a full and daring eye^ is quite 

 his coat of arms. He also prefers the coat rather open, 

 as the closely-planted ones are disposed to shed 

 their wool in the spring when the new and the 

 old coats separate. The wool calculation is five 

 fleeces of ewes and hoggs, and three of hill-ranging 

 tups to the 241b. stone. If a ewe nurses two lambs, 

 she has one-third less wool, and if she is in the cast 

 she is generally among the shots. From Martinmas 

 until the beginningof April, about 3,000 brats are used 

 for the ewe hoggs, as the woollen cloth prevents the 

 wet from settling on the fleece. This is, however, a 

 plan which few, except Mr. Brydon, observe, and he 

 does not recognise the objection that it prevents the 

 wool from rising properly. There are eight thousand 

 ewes in the flock, which have generally five crops of 

 lambs, and the cast has gone for years to farmers 

 in the district. The wedder lambs are all sold in 

 August, and 120 tups are kept each year. Eight 

 sales have been held so far, with about nine score in 

 each of them, and, as a general rule, the two- 

 shears sell best. 



Since Mr. Brydon succeeded to the flock, he has 

 been a steady shower, both at the Highland Society, 

 Mofi'at, Thirlstane, Langholm, Dumfries, and Thorn- 

 hill. Old Stirling won eleven prizes. He was a 

 sheep of grand style, and sported! a 131b. coat as 

 a four-shear. Old Palley was alsoT/^ all gaiety and 

 life," with a very special coat and a head which was 

 thought worthy of stuffing. Roughie was of the 



