214 Beport on some features of Scottish Agriadture. 
Brought up 2730 
4. Comer, 818 : 316 ewes, 174 hoggs, and 328 wedders. 
5. Crunevine, 599 : 266 ewes, 178 hoggs, and 155 wedders. 
6. Sluckvinch, 724 : 383 ewes, 187 lioggs, and 154 wedders. 
4871 
100 aged tups, 
25 tup-hoggs, 
80 bought hoggs at Comer, 
60 bought hoggs at Craig, 
Total, 5136 
The relative numbers of ewes, hoggs, and wedders vary from 
several causes ; some hirsells are more subject to mortality in one 
or other class than others, but wedders are more particularly 
liable to disease, and are, therefore, always in the minority unless 
the deficiency is supplied by purchases. This is done to the 
extent of 15 per cent, of the number bred on the farm. 
Ewes begin to drop their lambs about the 20tli of April, 
and lambing-time continues for about a month, during which 
period it is essential that the shepherds should be on the " hill " 
every hour of daylight. Just previous to lambing the ewes 
voluntarily leave the lower ground, and ascend to the hill-tops ; 
and they similarly descend again of their own accord when 
the lambs are about a fortnight old. In 1869, the crop of 
lambs from 2215 ewes, counted at the first collection, num- 
bered no less than 2114 ; but it was the best crop that had 
been known for twenty years, exceeding the return of 1870 by 
100 lambs, and the av-erage of years by no less than 15 per cent. 
As a rule, it is found that about 15 per cent, of the ewes 
are barren, and a large number of lambs die as soon as 
they are born or very shortly after. Gaps left by deaths are 
refilled as far as possible by dividing the couples ; but it 
does not often happen that the supply of couples is equal to the 
demand for them. Couples are comparatively rare after a hard 
winter, and proportionately abundant after a mild season. The 
total number of lambs is ascertained on or about the first of June, 
when the sheep are collected for the first time, and the lambs 
are marked. About twelve ram lambs are then selected for use 
in future years, and the remainder are cut at the same time. 
The next collection is in the middle of August, when the 
ewe lambs for the flock are selected, and about one-third of the 
lambs are drafted for sale, not being good enough to keep on. 
Of late years there has been a good demand for the smaller 
