Stock at Clifton-on-Bowmont. 217 



and straw as they could eat. During August and September the 

 whole of the half-bred ewe and wedder lambs were marketed, as 

 also the draft age of ewes. 



In order to keep up the stock under this system it was necessary 

 to buy each year a number of Cheviot ewe lambs, as the number 

 of ewe lambs available from the gimmer age was insufficient. 

 These, together with the Leicester half-bred and Cheviot tups 

 reqidred, were all the sheep stock it was necessary to buy each 

 year. 



The Peesent System. 



As before mentioned the whole of the breeding stock is now 

 Cheviots. These are in four ages and are drafted as five year 

 olds. The 3 and 2 crop, together with a proportion of the one 

 crop ewes, are mated with a Leicester tup ; the remainder of the 

 1 crop ewes and the gimmers being put to the Cheviot tup. 



During winter the ewes and gimmers are treated alike, and 

 (with the teception of any ewes showing signs of getting lean, 

 which are drafted out from time to time) receive no artificial 

 feeding except during a snowstorm or severe frost, when a daily 

 allowance of hay is supplied to them. 



About the end of February or beginning of March, the ewes 

 have a few turnips laid down to them on the grass land, at the 

 rate of a cart load per day, per himdred. This is continued for 

 about 10 days, when the ewes are folded on turnips during the 

 day, and run off to grass land at night lintil the time of lambing 

 (April 1st). 



The eves bringing half-bred lambs are allowed turnips during 

 lambing time, but those in lamb to the Cheviot tup, are lambed on 

 the hill ground without any extra feeding. The Cheviot ewe 

 hoggs are wintered in the same way as the same class of stock 

 under the previous system. The marketing of the half-bred 

 wedder lambs is begun early in August and is followed ,by the 

 half-bred ewe lambs. These being first cross command a high 

 price for breeding purposes. The Cheviot wedder lambs and 

 also the draft age of ewes are sold in September. Under this system 

 a few Cheviot ewe lambs are bought each year to keep up the 

 stock. These and the necessary Leicester and Cheviot tups 

 coustitate the only other purchases. 



