184
seems desirable that these sheep should be fairly tried. Severalcounties contain both hills and plains ; and where these differentdescriptions of surface approach each other by slow and some-times almost imperceptible gradations, there is a certain spacetoo elevated for tillage rotations, and yet very susceptible of be-ing occasionally cultivated for the amelioration of the pasture,and for raising winter food for live-stock. Such land at presentis chiefly occupied either by sheep of the Cheviot breed, or of amixed breed between Cheviots and Leicesters. Even on highersituations, where pure Merinos might be found too delicate, itmight be adviseable, with a view to the improvement of wool,to employ rams that have a greater or less portion of Merino blood ; or to put a few of the Cheviot ewes to a pure Merino ram, for the purpose of breeding rams for the future service ofthe whole flock. There seems the less danger in such an experi-ment, that a cross-bred race, with wool nearly as fine as that ofthe Merino , and of several different degrees less fine, have be-come habituated to the climate of England, and might be easilyprocured by the farmers of Scotland ; and the carcase of thesesheep is not nearly so objectionable as that of the pure Merino .It must afford a strong inducement to such experiments, to know,that a cross between Merinos and Cheviots, has been alreadyfound highly advantageous in Scotland , even on pastures otan inferior description, and in pretty high and exposed situa-tions. In order to ascertain this point, queries were transmittedby the President of the Board of Agriculture, to several gentle-men who are making trials of the Merinos and their crosses; andfrom their answers the following short notices have been chieflycollected.
In Ross-shire, one of the most northerly counties of Scotland ,Sir George Stewart Mackenzie and Mr Macleod of Geanies havecrossed the Cheviots with Merino rams for several years. Someof the rams were purchased from his Majesty’s flocks, and othersreared on these gentlemen’s farms. £ They were never allowed" to go even into an open cot for shelter, and they have withstood‘ the most severe weather .’—(Treatise on Sheep by Sir G. *>•Mackenzie, p. 179.) In 1809, Sir George sold his Cheviot woolat SOs. per stone of 24 lib., and his Merino Cheviot at 44s.
General Robertson of Lude, in Perthshire, has tried the Le-rinos in almost every different way since 180-4; and he has foundthe Cheviot cross turn out in every different shape of produce-in wool, carcase, and hardiness, better than the Ryeland, theSouthdown, the Black-faced, or the Leicester crosses. The Ge-neral bargained with one of his tenants, who has an excellentCheviot flock, to give a portion of his best ewes to a Merino ran>>and agreed to pay him at the rate of 18s. for each lamb of thatcross, which was pastured on the same grounds with his p« reCheviot lambs, and delivered on being w-eaned in July. A Che-viot ewe, he observes, having from 2 to 3 lib. of wool only, !‘ er