300 



Farming of East Lothian. 



lambs and hoggets. They are purchased in' autumn and in 

 spring — much the largest portion in autumn. The ewes, half- 

 bred Leicesters and Cheviots, but principally Cheviots, are 

 served with Leicester tups — the produce sold fat in spring — the 

 ewes in spring and summer. The hoggets are usually crosses 

 between the Leicester and Cheviot — part three-fourths and part 

 half Leicester, also part pure Cheviot. The best bred are 

 usually sold in the end of May and beginning of June — the pure 

 Cheviot in autumn. Sometimes these are kept for a month or 

 two on turnips. 



By the statistical returns obtained on the 20th of May last, 

 there were in the county 37,000 ewes and 29,600 tups and 

 wethers; but as the lambs, which must have been all dropped 

 before the 20th of May, were by some strange oversight not enu- 

 merated, at least 36,000 lambs require to be added to this 

 number. About 28,000 of these may be sold fat as lambs. The 

 stock kept on the hills is principally ewes, Cheviot. The lambs 

 are usually sold in autumn, also the cast ewes, the stock being 

 kept up by selecting the best ewe lambs. Those at two years 

 old have lambs, and after having three, or in some instances 

 four crops of lambs, they are sold to the Lowland farmer, who, 

 after taking one crop of lambs, fattens ewe and lamb. The 

 average stock kept on the Lammermuirs is about one sheep to 2 

 acres, supplemented by a limited extent of arable land for winter 

 teep ; and as there are 28,630 acres in sheep-walks, this would 

 give about 14,300 sheep. Taking 12,000 as the ewe stock, the 

 rest being tups and wethers, and as one-fourth of the ewes, the 

 "ewe teggs," will have no produce, this gives the number of ewes 

 having lambs at 9000. As the proportion of lambs to ewes is 

 nearly equal on the Lammermuirs, this gives 9000 ewes and 9000 

 lambs. Part of these lambs are sold fat and part for stores. 

 Average price from 12^. to 18^. ; last year considerably above 

 these rates. Ewes from 205. to 345. On some farms the ewes 

 are served with Leicesters, and the lambs sold off when weaned. 



The number of acres under alternate grasses is about 27,000. 

 About one -fourth of this extent is cut for hay and soiling, the 

 rest depastured. As the farm and breeding horses (with the 

 exception of about 1000 soiled in the house), with nearly all 

 the cows, are kept on the alternate grasses, and allowing fully 

 an acre for each of these, amounting, horses and cows, say to 

 5000, this would give other 6000 acres as thus consumed, leaving 

 14,000 for cattle and shfeep. About three-fourths of this are 

 consumed by sheep, and as four sheep, part ewes with lambs, 

 and part hoggets, are allowed per acre, this gives as the number 

 of sheep being fattened on the arable land during summer 

 42,000. Occasionally cake is given to sheep on pasture — espe- 

 cially hoggets forward in condition. The profit obtained from this 



