48 THE CULTIVATOR. Jan. 
CHEVIOT RAMS, 
Which received the prize of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland. 
The Cheviot Breed of Sheep. 
■ There are various reasons why, in a country like 
ours, it is expedient to keep several breeds of sheep. 
Different qualities of wool are required for the ma¬ 
nufacture of different kinds of goods," and for our 
great range of climate and diversity of soil and as¬ 
pect, animals of different characteristics, as to con¬ 
stitution and habits, are required for the different 
locations. The sheep which produce the finest sta¬ 
ple of wool, are unsuited to coarse food and expo¬ 
sure to great changes of weather. So too, in re¬ 
gard to the production of mutton; those breeds 
which attain the greatest size, and fatten most rea¬ 
dily, with an abundance of food in a mild climate, 
have not the hardiness and muscular Vigor necessa¬ 
ry to adapt them to cold and mountainous districts. 
Hence, in Great Britain we find the Leicesters, 
Lincolns, and other heavy long-wooled breeds, oc¬ 
cupying the warm and fertile valleys and rich grass 
lands; the South Downs and similar breeds, the in¬ 
termediate uplands; while lighter and more active 
breeds are kept on the heaths and mountains of 
Wales and Scotland. 
From the increasing demand and enhanced price 
of mutton in this country, many farmers have late¬ 
ly turned their attention to the production of this 
article. With this view, different breeds of English 
sheep have been procured. The Leicesters and 
South Downs have been considerably tried, and with 
varied success. In some instances both have failed 
from improper management. But in general, we 
think the Leicesters have hardly sufficient hardiness 
to endure the extremes of temperature, from the 
heat of summer to the cold of winter, which occur 
in our climate. It is true they vary in this respect, 
and some skillful breeders have given to their sheep 
much better constitutions than those of this breed 
in general possess. The improved Cotswolds, or 
New Oxfordshires, though derived from crosses with 
the Leicester, are more hardy and produce more 
wool. For many situations, it is desirable to ob¬ 
tain a breed more hardy than either of these. 
The Cheviot breed, represented by our cut, is not 
at present, much known in this country. We have 
heard of only two importations; one by Hon. Dan¬ 
iel Webster, of Massachusetts, and one by Col. 
T. J. Carmichael of Wisconsin. From the loca¬ 
lity they occupy in their native country, and from 
all we can learn of their qualities, we think they 
would be valuable for many parts of the United 
States. In answer to an inquiry, Mr. Webster 
writes us in regard to his Cheviots, as follows: 
*'* They are very handsome, coming fully up to 
the cuts of them which you find in the English pub¬ 
lications. I do not think mine are very large, as 
my pastures are not rich, and I have taken no par¬ 
ticular pains with them. I have had no very great 
experience of them, as to their mutton, as yet; but 
some wethers have proved very good. I think the 
breed fattens readily.” 
They take their name as a breed, from the Che¬ 
viot range of hills, on the border of England and 
Scotland, where they have existed from time imme¬ 
morial. They have lately been improved by a cross 
with the Leicesters; and have been adopted with 
great success in many parts of Scotland, heretofore 
occupied by the black-faced mountain sheep. In 
relation to the breed. Martin gives the following 
description: 
“They are full behind the shoulder, and the fore¬ 
quarters are justly proportioned to the hind; they 
are straight in the back, round in the rib, clean and 
small boned in the limbs; the wool, which is of a 
quality useful for many combing purposes, comes 
forward behind the ears, but leaves the face uncov¬ 
ered. The Cheviot sheep is capable of enduring 
much cold and privation; it possesses considerable 
fattening properties, the wethers being ripe for the 
butcher at two years of age; and averaging from 
15 to 18 lbs. the quarter. The mutton is excellent. 
This description applies to the Cheviots with a cross 
