138

ON THE LIVE-STOCK

hirsel is composed of lambs; and if the wethers are kept tillthree and a half years old, they may form a seventh. Toappropriate to each'kind of stock, the pastures which are bestsuited to its age and sex, requires a great deal of skill andjudgment, which can only be derived from experience; andupon this, more perhaps than any other circumstance, doesthe success of the store-farmer depend. “ Grounds, whereyoung sheep are liable to diseases, are naturally stocked withthose that are aged, while the weaned lambs or hogs, are sentto more healthy pastures *and better pastures are invaria-bly allotted to the breeding ewes, and to the wethers beforethey are sent to market, than to the young stock.

The expediency of such large occupations as this systemof management requires, like almost every other question inrural economy, has been the subject of much dispute. It isnot many years since depopulation was urged as a ground ofcomplaint even in the south of Scotland, though if the inhabi-tants of the Cheviot hills had been at once dislodged, theywould not only have found full employment in the space ofa few miles, but their numbers would scarcely have been feltas an addition to the population of two or three of the near-est counties. In this case a mere change of residence, thoughit may be distressing to individuals for a time, is of no impor-tance whatever in a national point of view; and indeed tomaintain a greater number of inhabitants on these hills, thanis required for the management of the flocks, while the de-mand for- productive labour in the low country, can with dif-ficulty be supplied, would be at once injurious to the publicinterest, and to that of the proprietors and occupiers. Torender the soil as productive as possible, it is even necessarythat the number of separate farms should not be too muchmultiplied on these hills. There are several large tracts up-on which a breeding stock cannot be kept, which are never-theless well adapted to young sheep; and as the latter can sel-

* Roxburghshire Report, p. 154.