390 
Farm Reports. 
work as possible. Still, it is a very hard life, and their careless- 
ness about sitting in wet clothes makes many of them the victims 
of rheumatism soon after fifty. It is told of an old Sutherland- 
shire shepherd that, when he was pressed to keep warm in his 
cabin during his last illness, he grumbled bitterly, and would 
maintain that " its keeping fra the weet maks me ill." The 
majority are very temperate men, except, perhaps, when a great 
sheep fair leads them into the paths of whisky ; and, unless 
rheumatism lays its heavy hand on them, many go their rounds 
well at sixty. They are very nimble-footed as well as enduring ; 
and with "a pocket-pistol," and a piece of bread and cheese 
to help them along, they will follow the tod-hunter from the 
dawn to the close of day. 
Hill-rents and prices have risen prodigiously since the termina- 
tion of the American War, when many farms were left without 
tenants. Sheep farming was very ruinous in 1820, and continued 
so up to 1832, when a change for the better gradually took place 
with the improved prospects of the country. In 1820 great 
reductions of rent were made by every proprietor of hill farms ; 
but the price of wool was so low, that even the lower scale of 
rent could hardly be paid. After all, wool is the commodity 
which gives high profits, and supports high rents. No kind of 
farm-produce has been more fluctuating. In 1818, when white 
wool was unknown, smeared wool ranged from 335. to 505. per 
stone of 24 lbs. on the Cheviot Hills, and yet in 1822 the same 
quality only brought from 85. to 135. ! At that time the total 
sales of wool and mutton would have done little more than 
remunerate a tenant who paid no rent. Low wool only exists in 
a time of great depression of trade, and therefore it is always 
accompanied by a very reduced general scale of prices. So in 
1822 Cheviot top lambs only fetched 45. to 75. each at Melrose 
and Lockerbie ; and, in fact, they were often killed and almost 
given away. In 1826, when the drought had such a ruinous 
effect on all live stock, there were instances of even good hill- 
lambs being sold at sixpence per leg. The skin was not worth 
keeping ; and the shepherd kept the fry for himself. 
Prices gradually revived between then and 1834, and rents 
were still thirty per cent, less than they are at present, although 
mutton and wool ranged higher. As land got out of lease the 
landlords had the benefit of the rise, as they now have of the 
prices of 1863-G4. In 1842-43 a check came, and top wether 
lambs fell as low as from 75. 6J. to bs. With these two years of 
commercial uncertainty the bad prices ended, and ewe-rents set- 
tled at from 7s. 6f/. to f)s. Qid. per sheep. In 1862 Cheviot white 
wool was quoted at 525. to 585. per stone, cast-ewes at 30s. to 
4O5., and top wether lambs at 155. to 2l5. These prices lasted 
