OF SCOTLAND.

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gallons of tar *. A common proportion of late has beenabout 14 ibs. of butter, to two Scotch pints of tar, (nearly 3Aquarts English wine measure) for ewes, and 11 lbs. to thesame quantity of tar for hogs. This mixture should smearfrom twenty to twenty-five of each, which is the number oneman can do in a day. The expence, according to presentprices, will be about 9 d. for each sheep. Other articles, suchas oil, palm-grease, tallow, &c. have been recommended inplace of butter ; but none of them are in general use, and theonly addition that is approved of is a little butter-milk.The butter is slowly melted and poured upon the tar, andthey are constantly stirred till they become cool enough foruse. The wool is accurately parted into rows from the headto the tail of the animal, and the salve is carefully spreadupon the skin with the point of the finger at the bottom ofeach row. The object of this operation is to destroy vermin,—to prevent cutaneous diseases,—and to promote the warmthand comfort of the animal during the storms of the ensuingwinter. It is not necessary with sheep kept on low grounds,and well fed during winter, and it may be occasionally omittedfor one season, particularly with old sheep, without materialinjury; but notwithstanding the ridicule that speculative wri-ters have attempted to throw upon the practice, it is almostuniversally considered necessary and beneficial on high ex-posed situations, by the store-farmers of Scotland . Smearedwool does not sell so high as white wool, but the greaterweight of the former more than compensates for the differencein price f.

The annual sales from a breeding stock, consist of the

D '

* Roxburghshire Report, p. 155.

t Folding is seldom practised in Scotland , and it is disapproved of by all thebest sheep-farmers. In a few instances, a part of a flock may be confined forsome weeks in temporary folds, for the purpose of manuring old tough patches°f land intended to he ploughed for oats next season; but even this practice15 filing into disuse. Sheep are never folded on fallows in Scotland .