Influence of Climate, S^-c., on Sheep. 
99 
extensive scries of mountain ranges, wliicli, wliilst presenting 
some of the grandest features of Englisli scencn j, exert a power- 
ful induence upon local climate, and consequently on animal 
and vegetable life. Sheep will here be found grazing more than 
2000 leet above the level of the sea, in an atmosphere often 
charged with moisture to its fullest limit. At times a drier 
atmosphere prevails ; still, this is exceptional, whilst at other 
times the air is not only moist, but, even when the moisture is 
not falling in the form of rain, a complete mist envelopes every- 
thing. The annual amount of rainfall ranges from 75 to 150 
inches. The elevation of this district necessarily occasions 
great severity of cold in the winter and spring months, and these 
are followed by a short summer and autumn, in which the growth 
of the year has to be made. On the southern portion of this 
district the climate is less severe in its character, and its in- 
fluence less energetic, but even under the most favourable con- 
ditions there are severities to be endured and privations to be 
encountered which call for a stout heart in the farmer and a 
sound constitution in his stock. The peculiar natural features 
of this mountain district are great elevation, severe cold, heavy 
falls of rain, abundance of mists, steep feeding ground, short and 
scanty herbage, and often very poor food. 
Occupying this extensive tract of grazing land we find a 
peculiar class of animals. Upon the highest ranges sheep are the 
principal stock, but the lower levels are occupied by a hardy 
class of cattle ; indeed both cattle and sheep will be found worthy 
of notice, but it is to the latter that 1 shall more particularly 
draw attention, because they forcibly illustrate the principles we 
tave to consider. Such mountain sheep are anything but 
pleasing to the eye of a farmer accustomed to land of better 
quality, and situated under more favourable circumstances. A 
pen of genuine mountain sheep in one of our exhibitions would 
excite much attention and probably amusement from the striking 
contrast they present to the representatives of our improved 
flocks. It is, indeed, probable that they would be regarded 
as sheep not only ill-shaped but of bad quality, and yet upon 
further consideration of their merits we shall find much that is 
valuable. The differences observable between our various breeds 
of mountain sheep are few and of secondary importance, but the 
points upon which they agree are very essential and well worthy 
of attention. 
Another class of sheep which have to play an important 
part with these hardy little mountaineers may be distinguished 
as the hill sheep of England. These consist of the Cheviots, 
Shropshire Downs, Ryelands, Cotswold, and Notts, and occupy 
an extensive tract of land eastward of the mountainous district 
II 2 
