Farm-Prize Competition, 1880. 
573 
on their native hills), inspires breeders with resolution and per- 
severance to continue the cultivation of the race in its integrity. 
In the manual called ' The New Shepherd's Guide,' which con- 
tains the marks of the whole of the sheep in the Lake country, I 
find a curious essay by Mr. William Abbot, of Coniston, to 
which, allusion has been previously made, which contains some 
remarks bearing on this point. Mr. Abbot says : " To make 
judicious and good crosses, and keep a stock going without any 
mistakes is more than the best of our Herdwick men can do. 
When fresh blood is once infused into the stock there is no 
retraction. None can foretell the results ; they may be right, 
but the worst part is they are sometimes wrong ; so that 
Herdwick breeders should look to themselves and be very 
careful in the selection of their male animals. Neither can they 
bestow too much attention on their breeding ewes." Mr. 
Leathes seems fully alive to these difficulties. He has strong 
ideas on the qualifications of a Herdwick sheep, and acts up to 
them, both in his selection of fresh blood and in the drafts 
which are made from time to time from the flock of ewes. 
The wether hoggs are usually got away to the butcher in July 
or August. Should any of them not be fit by this time, they are 
put upon turnips and other trough food and kept until Christmas. 
The " gimmers " are drawn from amongst them about the middle 
of May (which is as soon as the mountain ewes get away to 
their heath again after lambing) and grazed in the " intacks " 
(i.e. large enclosures) above the house until the autumn ; they 
are then put to the ram or sold for that purpose. The 
markets of course influence Mr. Leathes in these matters, but 
he prefers selling all the " mule " lambs, as the crosses are styled, 
at weaning-time in the latter end of September, when the price 
is satisfactory. They have averaged as much as 21s. ?>d. each, 
but last year the "tops" scarcely fetched 155. each, and the 
*' shots " had to be kept and wintered. These we saw in 
February. 
In July the sheep stock stood thus : — 
712 Herdwicks washed from mountain (ewes and lambs). 
252 " Mule " lambs. 
168 Herdwick ditto. 
98 Down lambs for fat lamb. 
308 Hoggets. 
120 Ewes, barren and with lambs. 
7 Rams. 
It- Shearling gimmers for show, &c. 
5 Ewes with rams. 
5 Lambs ditto. 
1692 
