104 
Iiifluence of Climate, ^-c, on Sheep. 
character of the wool of mountain sheep, arising^ from circum- 
stanres of soil and climate, quite independent of the breed. To- 
diminish the influence of cold, various means are adopted; of 
these the j)rocess of salving the sheep and the use of coarse 
cloth covers are the more general, both aiming to preserve 
warmth and softness of skin, and thereby to encourage the more 
equal development of the fleece. It is true, very opposite 
opinions are entertained by flock-masters as to the advantages of 
salviiif/ ; but it will be evident that in proportion as the skin is 
maintained in a soft and warm condition, by a liberal — or at any 
rate a sufficient — supply of food, so the necessity for supplying 
to the wool what must really be equivalent to an artificial yolk 
becomes less necessary, and therefore it may readily be imagined 
that under good management the practice of salving does not 
become as needful as when the flock have to contend with 
greater hardships. 
The quality of the wool also depends in a great measure upon 
the roughness of its edges. Those edges when examined under 
the microscope show a serrated or sawlike formation, and the 
felting capability of wool is entirely dependent upon the number 
of those projecting points. The wool of sheep which are much 
exposed to heavy rain is usually deficient in this character, and 
assumes the form of kemp-hair, doubtless a provision of nature 
for rapidly throwing off the water from the body. The production 
of good wool is thcrclbre promoted by giving sheep liijeral and 
regular supplies of food, and by protecting them from any ex- 
cessive severities of climate. For these reasons the wool of our 
hill sheep offers a striking contrast to that produced by the 
mountain breed — the superiority of quality and the increase of 
quantity being clearly traceable to a steady adherence to those 
rules under which alone good wool can be produced. At the 
same time it is only fair to remark that any attempt to produce 
heavy fleeces upon sheep intended for the active and laborious 
life of grazing mountain pasturage, would render them unfit for 
such a duty. 
The evidence of flockmasters receives in this and many other 
respects a clear and definite solution. The character and con- 
stitutional development of sheep determine the districts for 
which they are best adapted, and these points of character are 
clearly under our control. We find in the sheep of our mountain 
districts most desirable qualifications, which they possess in an 
unparalleled degree, viz., healthy constitutions, active breeding 
powers, good supplies of milk, and meat of the best quality ; 
while their external form, which we are too apt to condemn, is 
essential to their c(mstitutional strength under the severities of 
the climate to which they are exposed. By altering the external 
