OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2215, 13 August 1896, Page 6

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

(From Our Special Correspondent.) . Bradford, June 19. THE CHEVIOT SHEEP. On the sterile uplands of the Scotch Highlands, the border hills. of Cheviot, and the wild, rooky mcors on the borders of England and Scotland, roaming over the free expanse, and adding beauty and life to the scene, ate found the beautiful white-faced sheep known .as the Cheviot. They are entirely' the denizens of mountains, moors, and fells, and are the hardiest breed oi sheep' in the British Isles. They are unconfineJ by hurdles or sheep-nets, and we innocent of those artificial Bjftems of feeding and forcing, which are of so much importance in the management of our lowland Hooks. Tbe grot Chariot HilU form » atrikiog object

ou the border of Scotland. They overlook the fertile lands which &lope southward and westward from their base. Cheviot is composed of traprock, which shows it to be of soil better than that of the mountain limestones and grits, which form the baeis of the hf alh country on which the famous Scotch black-faced sheep find theic home. Cheviot is clothed with awe.t, ehort herbage t i the very summit. It is early and lst'e covered with snow, and its great altitude exposes it to severe storms during many mouths of the year. Here is tbe home of the Cheviot sheep, which have been bred from time immemorial.

The fact of a well-defined breed occupying a limited area suoh as the Cheviot Hille, aud having, no special restmbUnce to any other breed of sheep, is a curious one, and one upon which Ji tie light can be thrown. The most probable explanation is " the survival of the filte r." -Tee Cheviothas been improved and ext«uded into maay o'her licalities bobh north and south of Lis native-hills. In fact, 20 miles from Bradford, as one begios Co en'er the da"es of Yoiksfcire, he w 11 fiad the hills and pastures covered witti no other breeds except the Scjtch black faced, the Cheviots, and a few Wensleydales, the. two former greatjly p:e 'otninating.

To one Mf Robson, of Belford, is ascribed the 'honour of fust working out the improvement of the Cheviot in 1756. For many year* after he sjld more rams than one-half the hill farmers pub together. Sir John Sinclair in 1792 dtsmbrs them, and appears to hare named them. According to Mr Archibald, 03 the establishment of the British Wool Society in 179 1. (now extinct) by tbe ftte Sir John Sinclair and other noblemau and g-nt'.emen ssveral delegates were appointed to visit the principal sheep districts of Euglaud and S Jutland to examine the different breeds and report upon, their merit 3. During their investigations a breed was discovered on the borders of England and Scotland which Sir John conpidered well suited for being bred and reared in Highland • districts. TLey were white-facsd, aud, ivcta their length, were called "the long fheep," in contradistinction to tha short or black-faced breed. "Tj these sheep Sir John gave the name of the Cheviot breed." The points of a good Cheviot sheep are in many respects similar to those oE other good breeds. Omitting those carcaie points which may bs supposed to be secured by all breeders, the coat should be good iv quality, thick, free frjm kemp or hair, and fill the hand well. The fcead, while not 100 heavy, should be bold and broad, well set eff by a bright., dark eye and erect ears of moderate leDgih, covered with clean, hard, white hair. The nose is Rjman in type, the skin around tho mouth black, and both sexes are, as a rule, hornless. I need not enlarge upon the necessity of wellsprung ribs, broad loins, good legs, &c , but will le&ve my renders to piciui c a hardy, up-standing,' white-faced, horol-si, and fairly fine, clojewoolled sheep, capable of standing the severe winters of the Cheviot Hills in cold, bleak Scotland. As eaily a* 1842 specimens of these sheep were carried to America by Scottish Farmers who emigrated, and which still flourish in the rooky parts of that vast country, Long-tried experiments have, proved their prepotent power and utility as an improver of range and farm •flocks, and as suitsd well to every bleak and mountainous district ia any part of the world where le3B hardy • breeds would bo unable to stand the privations of climate and rough keep. The Cheviot, moreover, ha? prdved himself a gheep in which there- is great room for improvement in the hinds of the common farmer. Its mutton is of the sweetest character, and •' prime Scotch " is itill at the top. For crossing with the merino a bttter grade sheep oan hardly be imagined, and unique results have already accrued. WOOL CONDITIONS. Again I have to chronicle a continuance of a very quiet state of affairs, and the market during tho past week has developed no improvement whatever. True, there are men open to do busints*, but the views of buyers here are continuously so much below those of sellers that resulting business has been out of the question. Would-be operators trot out their bogey horsa pretty freely, and prophesy strongly another fall a fortnight hence at the opening of the next series oFLondon wool sales. This, of course, under present conditions, brings little or no grist to holders' mills, for they well know that Londoa values, even with a drop, will still be above 'Bradford's idea of things. After all, merinos are £d lower to-day than three weeks ago, and top-men find it impossible to sell even at cost price. Nothing at present seems to be in demand, and dealers confess to be at sea with regard to the future of this market, and there is a general disposition to act coneervatively with regard to all grades of wcol. In colonial crossbreds and South American descriptions there is a fair average consumption pro-, ceeding, and values remain pretty steady. This is to be accounted for by the continuance of the demand from the outside wonted manufaptur rs for this class of spun yarn. Tbe situation for the homo new clip shows no change here, except the firm, decided attitude of country farmers and holders haR tightened the feeling of looseness with regard to the present prices. However, country values are on a very full par with present quotations here, wad what) new

clip has arrived dealers are holding in the Lope of better times. Irish demi-wools are filling a useful place, and are being consumed wilh comparative freedom. Although Bradford buyers of the domsstic clip avo not liking the teuacious attitude of those in the country, yet why should a sensible wool-grower try ti dispose of his dip ah It S3 money? ..Better- times ar« coming. There will bs a better demand for domestic wool later in the se*SDn. In mohair there is no<further accession of business or any alteration in prices. Neither in yarns nor piece goods has anything transpired to bring any improvement. Manufacturers engaged upon special classes keep fairly busy, but otherwisa operations are very cautiously made.