MOUNTAIN SHEEP. 123 



is rapidly becoming extinct, neither political 

 nor agricultural economy can alter nature's 

 decree that these small holdings must ever 

 remain sheep farms. Each farm in the dale 

 has its " Lot," or Allotment, on the fell, which 

 feeds from five hundred to a thousand sheep. 

 This number is about the normal one, though 

 some of the largest farms have most extensive 

 " heafs," and graze from two to five thousand 

 sheep. These are of the Black- faced, Scotch, 

 and Herdwiek breeds. All have coarse, hair- 

 like wool ; the Scotch and Black-faced have 

 horns, whilst the Herdwiek is polled. Yet each 

 wears what the hill farmer terms a "jacket and 

 waistcoat" — that is, long wool without, with 

 a soft, thick coating beneath. This is the 

 one great characteristic which fits the animal 

 for its life among the mists. AM the breeds 

 indicated are small boned, and produce the best 

 and sweetest mutton. It is the tending of 

 these that constitutes the chief work of the 

 dalesmen throughout the year. 



We have said that each farm of the valley 

 has allotted to it its hundreds or thousands of 

 acres upon the fells, and it is wonderful how 

 the sheep know their own ground. Of course 



