2 2 o Sadc ilc and Sirlo in . 



The present farm, which belongs to Mr. Meynell 

 Ingram, consists of 460 acres of limestone rock. It is 

 mostly arable, and there is very little old grass. It 

 suits swedes, greystone, and whitestone turnips very 



a shearling, at the sale of Mr. Owston's of Thorpe Bassett, who not un- 

 frequently accompanied Sir Tatton on his rides to Leicestershire. The 

 old baronet attended the sale of his dead friend, and liked this shearling 

 so much that he sent ten ewes to him. There were only two tup lambs 

 among the produce, and Sir Tatton never parted with one, which was 

 the sire of Sledmere. Mr Borton bid 60 guineas for it when the Sled- 

 mere flock was sold, but Mr. Hall, who has (as might have been 

 expected of so keen a judge) been very often after the same numbers, 

 got him for half a guinea more. Hence, Mr. Borton had to be content 

 with the son, instead of the sire, and "by Sledmere" is in the pedigree 

 of Blair Athol, Sir Tatton Sykes, and in fact, most of his best prize 

 sheep for four or five years back. The old ram only died this year, 

 and was honourably buried in his skin. His son Sir Tatton Sykes, from 

 an Eddlethorpe ewe, won at Worcester Royal in '63, and upwards of 

 thirty times as well. He formed part of a trio which won Lord Londes- 

 borough's Cup, at Market Weighton, which Mr. Borton has carried off 

 twice ; in fact, on the only occasions that he tried for it. Mr. Jordan 

 took this ram twice at 30 guineas and 40 guineas, then he stayed two 

 seasons in Cornwall with Mr. Tremayne, at 40/., and Mr. Hendy at 

 35 guineas, and has been used at home for two seasons. His own bro- 

 ther, Blair Athol, began well by beating forty-two shearlings at Ply- 

 mouth Royal, and since then he has been principally let, and won his 

 prizes in Mr. Hutchinson of Catterick's hands. Mr. Borton may well 

 say, that the fusion of Sledmere and Owston blood on Dowker, has 

 been his mainstay. His Sir Tatton by Sledmere, from Eddlethorpe 

 ewe, and bred by the late Sir Tatton Sykes, was also a good sheep, and 

 won at the Yorkshire Show at York in '66 ; and Black Eye by Ebor 

 (another York winner), from a Sanday ewe was his champion at the 

 Newcastle Royal. So far Mr. Borton has sold and let rams as high as 

 40 guineas, and given Mr. Sanday 60 guineas for a hire. The ewe 

 flock generally ranges from 150 to 170 in number, and upwards of 50 

 rams are let annually, at an average of 12 to 15 guineas. In some years 

 it has been as high as 16/. Customers come principally from Yorkshire, 

 Notts, Devonshire, and Ireland. Mr. Foljambe hired rams from him 

 in 1866-67, an d the first Yorkshire shearling was to have gone to Osber- 

 ton in 1868, but he unfortunately died when he was being prepared for 

 the Scarborough Show, and Mr. Borton stood first and second in the 

 class without him. His death was quite unaccountable, except it was 

 from high feeding, as he was found to weigh 42lbs. per quarter. Mr. 

 Borton has also a good selling trade, and sent four rams in 1868 to 

 Prussia. At the Manchester Royal meeting in 1869, he won a first, 

 second and third for rams, and a third for gimmers ; and at the York- 

 shire (Beverley) two firsts, two seconds, and a third for rams, and a first 

 for gimmers. 



