230 On the Breeds of Sheep.[Oct.

of sheep. The lowest parts of them produce plenty of bay, and consideráble quantities of corn and turnips. Now, Sir, even if Mr. Lawrence's statement had been correct, it would have been no refutation of what T have advanced; but I be- lieve Mr. Lawrence bas been mis-informed. He says,““ the cross of Merino rams with the Cheviot sheep, has succeeded with Mr. Robsoù beyond expectation; the prodúce has stood the winter well, ahd they are very promising both as to size and form,&c.” From this a conclusion may be drawn, that Mr. Robson, has bred sheep frem Spanish rams and Cheviot ewes, which have stood the winter well: instead of this being the fact, however, I understand that he has no sheep from this cross, except about a score of lambs, which oí course can- not bave been tried in winter. I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of this statemnent, but as some of my acquaintances will s00n be in Mr. Robson’s neighbourhood, I expect to be more fully inſormed, after which I shall correct it if it is er- FONeous.

The South-down sheep have been tried without success upon our Northern bills, where the Cheviot is the favourite breed. The latter sort of sheep have also been tried in Twee- dale, and other stormy heathy parts of the country, where the black-faced, hairy-woolled breed—a most hardy race— have hitherto been kept with success. In most of these parts the Cheviot sheep have been found too tender, and less pro- fitable, than the black-faced breed; and L cannot suppose that the Anglo-spanish are so hardy as the Cheviot sheep.— How cah we expect, then, that they would answer well on our most stormy, elevated, and heathy hills? Even if their constitutions would render them able to withstand the ex- treme severity of snowy and inclement seasons, their feet would be too tender to carry them over s0 great a tract of ground as they would necessarily have to travel, to obtain a scanty pittance of the poorest food. The strong heather, al- most instantly in a moist state, together with the rough and wet bogs and mosses, would so0on, I apprehend, deprive them of the use of their feet. I should be very glad, however, to be convinced by proper experiments that[ am wrong, and that our wool in these cold, barren, and elevated districts, can be greatly improved, as Mr. Lawrence sétates, without diminishiug the supply they aflord of a more important arti- cle—mutton. But[ shall probably be told that my opinion is founded upon suppostion, speculation,&c.&c. In an- swer to which 1 beg leave to remark, that[ have as many facts to support it, as my opponents have to uphold theirs; or rather, considerably more. All the flocks oft South-down sheep which have been tried in Scotland,and the north ot Eng