Tlie Agriculture of Glamorganshire. 189 
4 years does well if he comes up to 40 lbs., or 10 lbs. per 
quarter. Most of the writers on British sheep dispose of those 
of Wales in a single sentence, or thereabouts, as scarcely being 
worthy of notice ; but in spite of this they are the class of sheep 
better adapted than any other as a distinct breed for the 
whole of the hill districts of South Wales. They are justly 
celebrated for the quality and flavour of their mutton, which 
attains perfection at four years old. 
I have myself been trying to improve the native mountain 
breed of sheep for the last twelve years ; but, I am compelled to 
confess, with very varying success. Attempts at improvement 
are generally in the direction of crossing the native breed with 
Cheviot, Scotch Black-faced and other rams, but unless the pro- 
duce is much better kept during winter than is usually the case, 
the cross-bred stock prove a comparative failure. Many north- 
country men have made persistent efforts to substitute Cheviots 
or Cheviot crosses for the Welsh sheep, but have been compelled 
at last to abandon them, after buying their experience somewhat 
dearly. Cheviot crosses have succeeded better on the more 
grassy hills of Brecknockshire, which rest on the Old Red Sand- 
stone, but they rarely succeed on hills lying on the Coal-measures. 
It is found that the hill sheep of the district are most safely and 
surely improved by importations from Cardiganshire, North 
Wales, and other parts of the Principality. A judicious selection 
of rams, and breeding in direct line with the Welsh sheep, is 
found to answer the sheep-walks of the district better than radical 
crosses, which produce heavier animals, but which are too heavy 
and too tender for the quality of the grazings to maintain. It is 
an easy matter to criticise, and even ridicule, the live-stock and 
the customs of any district, but due regard must be paid to both 
in prosecuting any improvements that are likely to result in 
success. 
On the mountain farms of Glamorganshire, the sheep of all 
ages necessarily graze together, owing to the smallness of the 
grazings. When there are rights to grazing on a common, the 
older wedders are generally sent there, as they are stronger and 
better able to rough it than the ewes or yearling sheep. It is 
contrary to the practice of North-country hill-farmers to allow 
their whole flock to graze together. In their case the holdings 
are much larger than those in this county ; and the sheep are 
divided into "hirsels" on separate walks, to suit the ages and 
sexes of the flock. A wedder hirsel, or flock, has the most ele- 
vated walk, and the ewes and young sheep have each the walk 
best adapted for them. The Welsh flock consists of all ages, and 
many farmers contend, with every show of reason, that the sheep 
stock are more healthy when kept in this way than if they were 
