1 38 Saddle and Sirloin. 



into the September one. A few small men had Cots- 

 wolds and Lincolns ; but a great upstanding sheep 

 was not then the fashion on or over the Border. Mr. 

 Grey, who joined the ranks of the flockmasters soon 

 after the beginning of the century, had his " large Gs" 

 from Messrs. Culley and Mr. Thompson ; but he liked 

 the thick, short-legged Buckleys better, and stuck to the 

 sort for wether breeding. About 1815-20 Lord Pol- 

 warth's agent bought some of his " large G" gimmers, 

 and also went for rams to Mr. Jobson of Chillingham 

 New Town. Luke Scott of Easington Grange, near 

 Belford, was a great character in those days. He clung 

 to his little flock of twenty Bakewells with desperate 

 tenacity, even when his farm was gone, and he had to 

 board them out. After Mr. Robert Thompson's re- 

 tirement, he would use no rams but his own, and when 

 a very favourite ewe broke bounds and was tupped by 

 a " neighbour's mongrel" (as he called it), he slaugh- 

 tered her without mercy. 



They flourish on the banks of the Beaumont- 

 Water, and all along the spurs of the Cheviot range, 

 but more especially in the warm and sheltered barley 

 and turnip soils round Kelso and Coldstream. Un- 

 less a hill-farm is annexed to the arable, the whole 

 flock consists of Border Leicesters, and the South 

 Country Leicester, or "blue head," is proudly es- 

 chewed. The leading flocks have rather marked 

 peculiarities. Some excel both in size and fleece, 

 while others have lighter fleeces and smaller scrags, 

 but more quality and fashion. A very big head is 

 the characteristic of one or two flocks, and another 

 can generally be told by " the bridge in front of the 

 hock." Still, of late years, there has been so much 

 interchange of blood, that they are fast becoming 

 of one type, especially in their wool, which has 

 acquired much more staple and curl. The ewes, 

 wnich are remarkably good milkers, should lamb 

 about the middle of March, and when weaning time 



