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Report. If 4000 fat cattle are carried out of the county, weigh,ing 50 stones each, their value, at 8s. a stone, will amount to80,000/.; but as it is not known how many of these have beenformerly brought into it, it is impossible to ascertain what num-ber has been reared within the county. A great many cowsalso are sold lean, chiefly to the cowfceders of Edinburgh.
2. Sheep have long formed the most valuable part of the live-stock of this county. On the higher grounds, they are of theCheviot breed ; on the skirts of the hills, they have been crossedwith the Leicester or Dishley breed ; and the latter is now fimndin considerable numbers on almost all the low lands on the bantsof the Tweed and Teviot. The number of the Cheviot breedmay be about 200,000, kept on rather more than as many acres;and the total number of all kinds has been stated at 2'd‘j,370.At 25s. a piece, their value will amount to 332,962/. 10s.; andthat of their wool, at 4s. a fleece, to 53,274/. Of the annualsales of sheep, of all ages, no account has been obtained. Afew of the South-down, and other breeds, have been introduced;but their numbers are inconsiderable.
3. The Horses of this, as of the other Lowland counties of Scot-land , are of different breeds, but generally well adapted to thelabour of the varied surface of the country. On the lower ara-ble land, they are strong and active, though not quite so heavyas the horses of Berwickshire and the Lothians. Their num-ber, in 1796, was 4990, of which 586 were chargeable as car-riage and saddle-horses. A part of these, however, were work-horses liable to this tax on account of the rent of the farms. Atthat time it was thought the county did not breed horses sufficientto keep up its stock.
4. Swine are kept in considerable numbers by millers, brewersand farmers ; and almost every hind or married ploughman has apig for at least a part of the year. They are generally of a mid-dle size, and weigh, when fattened at about a year old, 10 or 12stones each. Besides supplying the consumption of the county,a great many carcases are sent to Berwick, where they are pre-pared for the London market.
5. Poultry are seldom reared for sale by farthers; yet themare many of all kinds in the county ; especially of dunghill fowk>whose eggs, which are purchased by people who travel over thecounty, and carried to Berwick, bring no inconsiderable sum.The people of Hawick alone, according to the Statistical Account,received 50/. weekly at an average during the year, for eggssold at Berwick. Ducks, Geese and Turkeys, are not so nu-merous.
There are no Rabbit warrens ; but several Pigeon-liouses; andthe number of Bees is supposed to be adequate to the supply ofthe inhabitants with honey.