SHEEP-FARMING IN SCOTLAND.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXI, Issue 7913, 29 September 1909, Page 1

SHEEP-FARMING IN SCOTLAND.

The following realistic description of things connected -with", Sheep-i'afming m Pertlsnire-, .Scotland, is irom the. skiUfulpenpf The Dominion's special correspondent at Bradford, England. It is dated August 6, and must prove of very special interest even to persons who have never sojourned m the Highlands of Perthshire—ihe loveliest and most romantic part of the loveliest and most romantic country m the Northern Hemisphere : There is no colonial visiting Old England but pays a visit to the Land o' Cakes, for Scotland is still one of the bonniest spots ' that human eyes can ever witness. Its " banks and braes " are unparalleled, and to wander peacefully through the West Highlands, and to '' do "the lochs and mountains, is to spend s a ; holiday that has_no equal. It is my privilege to'be most intimately connected with one of the largest sheepi'armers m the district of Loch Lomond, and every Juno during the last few years I have .spent olie.br two-weeks quiet!y..;^qc^i <ating. - , What feelings pass" through one's^ mind as we climb, say, The Cobbler or Ben, Lomond, or go fishing on the loch or up some mountain burn ! , One of the pleasante«t times I ever had m my life was m the month of June this year, when I sallied forth each morn to enrich my mind and gain fresh energy for the "daily round and:common task" m scenes where the throng of busy multitudes is not seen or heard. ' Of; all.the months m the year';' June is the time to see Great Britain at its _ best, for everything is m tune. This has been a very wet and wretched time, but early June proved to be nice as regards weather, and the pines and firs of the West Highlands were to be seen at their best. In June, Scotch sheeptfarmers concentrate their attention upon shearing, for it is never safe m that wild, rough, rugged land to denude the mountain owes of their jackets. I want to give to-day what I call a West Highland picture of gathering sheep. I have been m at several, and there will be thousands engaged m pastoral life m the colonies who will call to remembrance the early days of their childhood when they, too, wandered through the glens and up the mountain sides m that part. of tho world. For, after all, Scotsmen have done more m promoting the sheep industry m Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and South America than any other set of individuals.

A large piece of coal is placed on the i fire before we retire to rest, called a j " raking" coal, and all preparations are made for the gathering of one of the " hirsels," or divisions of the farm, m tho morning, whicli lies several miles from the homestead. It is a high, rough, mountainous place, overlooking the blue waters of Loch Long and Loch Goil. After, the .completion of the necessary preliminaries we go for a short sojourn to the realms of slumber. The hours m that silent world wing their flight with a speed surpassing that of a second m the world of work, and a wireless message from the alarm clock recalls us ore we have properly landed on that misty shore. The hour at which the message reaches us from over the gulf of silence is an unusual ! one for the ordinary mortal to be summoned, but for those engaged m the management or tending of flocks m the West Highlands of Scotland it is m no sense extraordinary. It is absolutely necessary to have the sheep surrounded, and all avenues of-escape cut off before morn "sows the earth with Orient pearl:" ' The midnight hour has hardly dropped into the eternity of tlte past when we have to rub the cobwebs of sleep from our eyes, and get into our harness. It is now 12.30, a.m., and thei " raking " coal, which lay on the,fire all nightis'broken up, and the smouldering mass b.ursts.ihto flame. Tho kettle' is pat- on, and '. m response to' the-heat of the; lire'its song is soon audible. 'When the kettle has worked up its enthusiasm to the boiling point some of its ardent spirit is put into the teapot, and tea is infused. Its a fine sight to see present all the farm hands who are to assist m the gathering. When all have drunk of the cup that cheers but not inebriates, we repair to tho farm-yard. The stars —those " flocks" which wander over the limitless plains of heaven —are not yet gathered from the sky. As the shepherds arrive m the square with thenfaithful assistants and collies, the realms of silence are ever and anon disturbed by growling and barking. The dogs are exchanging their -morning salutations, and settling the multifarious little differences of their own, of interest to ho one but themselves. When an understanding is arrived at between the canine members —which is usually accelerated by their master's crook coming into violent contact with their bodies-r-each man receives his instructions, and all march away through the grey curtain of the early June morning to take up his position at the appointed place. Each of us has to toil xipward m the semi-darkness of the morning, uiiwen alone, and as you look around when climbing the rugged steep far down below you behold Loch Long and Loch Goil, ronosing peacefully at the base of the lofty ominences which surround them. No breath of wind tickles the faces of the lochs, or disturbs tho tranquility of their repose. A little farther to the south-east is the Gareloch, bearing on his breast a large number of ships, which is regarded as a sign of poor trade. To the south is that great watery highway the Firth of Clyde, having for a milestone the Ailsa Craig. The Arran peaks loom m tho distance, and Goat Fell and his companions are seen to bo still wearing their nightcaps. A flock of sheep arc at rest right m front of us, soa wide berth is given them meanwhile, as it would not do to disturb them prematurely. Experience has taught those animals —which are regarded by many as being possessed of a double share of stupidity— that the semi-nocturnal perambulations on the part of man bodes no good to them, therefore they seek the'protection of the woods near the loch, and escape being gathered. The startled cry of a curlew echoes through the f lens, whose rest has evidently been isturbed, and also the quick strong beat of the wings. of a covey of grouse are heard flying past. When the loftier heights are reached, an endlesa panorama of peaks and lochs appears to view. To the east is seen Ben Lomond, his bonnet "touching the clouds, and thrown around his Atlantean shoulders is his: purple plaid, while a "kilt" of the richest green adorns his lower parts. Loch Lomond lies far below like a huge mirror* the framework richly embellished with hazel,,oak, birch, and ash—a most befitting mirror for the mighty Ben to glass himself. Towering high above, the head of Loch. Long, and narrow Clencroe, is Ben Arthur (The Cobbler). He is now seen slowly lifting his, nightcap of mist. The deep scars on his forehead are eloquent of the hundreds of battles whick he has fought with the battalions oi Boreas. Far to the west is Bon Cruachan, his wrinkled brows 6till supporting the garland which . winter wove for him —a garland of snow. As we look eastward m the direction *of Inversnaid, Loch Arldet is seen, and farther east appears Loch Katrine, and at once there come to the.mind Sir Walter Scott's eloquent words: Loch Katrine ... In all her length, far winding lay. With promontory, creek, and bay, And islands that, empurpled bright, Floated amid the livelier light.

The stars silently and unobserved] gradually hide themselves from the ] searching eye of the ruler of the day amid the blue thickets of heaven. Lifted high above the mighty Bens which lie to the east are purple clouds —the banners of the vanguard of morning. The great synod of mountains receives due recognition from the sire of the seasons. Their heads are crowned with gold, and their breasts are made to sparkle with Jewells exceeding m lustre that which the gorgeous east

showers on her kings. The song of the mountain lark is heard echoing through the still morning air, as she circles upward towards, the blue depths of the sky. Tlio barking of a dog far up the mountain's side reminds'us of something more prosaic than a study of Nature's beauties; another bark-far away m the distance strikes the ear, followed by cries, "Gid awa' faur oot wide!" "gid awa' faur oot 1 wide 1" Other commands are heard such as: " Oscar come ill tay ma heel I" "Tweed gid awa bye that I" "The sheep resting m various parts of the hill gather into little droves and make their way through the passes which lead to the, lower slopes. Each shepherd, has always two dogs that will "hunt and weer." The former drives the sheep and the latter collects. Sometimes the one dog can be used for both purposes. The gift of weering, or gathering, is a most useful acquisition for any collie to j possess. Now and then 'an aged ewe will stop m her flight to ascertain if I the dogs are still m pursuit. Another old lady and her lamb will keep close to the side of a rock till the dog has passed her. When all danger is over, she and her lamb will return to the old haunts , having escaped from the gathered. The remainder of th© flock have now reached the lower slopes, and several ewes and lambs are making for the woods, an old ewe, the leader of many forlorn hopes, showing the way. "Fanny gid away oot bye!" Fanny is soon before them, and the fugitives are reluctantly compelled to join their fellows. The flock is driven towards the "fank," or fold, m small lots, m order to facilitate the process of driving. Another method which ia always followed on some farms is to keep the sheep which graze on the various parts of the hills separate and the reason for this L> that lambs will find their mothers much quicker than if the'different lots were mixed. The sheep fank is now reached, which consists of one large I division, and a number of small ones. 1 The big division is for all the flock, if required, and the smaller ones for separating the different classes —namely, ewes, wedders, hoggs (sheep one-year-old), rams, and stragglers (sheep which come m from neighbouring farms). AH the flock is now inside the enclosure, and oue work for the morning is at an end. The mountain air has given us a good appetite for breakfast, and for all our toils we are, well recompensed.