120

ON THE LIVE-STOCK.

comparing a variety of communications, it appears that themedium price of white (unsmeared) wool, for a number ofyears past, may be about 8 s. 8 d. per stone,” of 16 lb. of 23ounces, or 44 d per pound avoirdupois; that of smeared woolis reckoned 25 per cent, lower *. The sheep of all ages, onan average of different stocks, are also fully 10 per cent, be-low the prices quoted; in some of tbp higher parts of Gal-loway, at least 20 per cent.

Of the number kept on any given extent of land, somenotice will be found in the Appendix , when the live-stock ofeach county shall be mentioned separately. There are noexperiments recorded in the county reports for the purposeof ascertaining the live weight, or the quantity of meat gain-ed by any given consumpt of food. But some remarks onthat head shall be offered in a subsequent section.

SECT. III.

THE CHEVIOT BREED.

This variety occupies the hilly districts around Cheviot,(from which it takes its name), on both sides of the boun-dary between England and Scotland , where it is found in itspurest state. It has also spread over the greater part of thecounty of Dumfries, and shares with the mountain breed thehilly pastures of several other districts. A few large farmsin the northern counties of Ross, Sutherland and Caithness,have been lately stocked with Cheviot sheep, by farmers fromNorthumberland and Roxburgh .

The pastures of the Cheviot hills contain a large propor-tion of green sward, which towards their base is often veryfine. The hills are mostly of a conical form, which affords

Dumbartonshire Report, p. 288.