into communication with Mr. Sandy, of Home Pierrepoint, as to the English Leicesters, and with Mr. Usher, Stodrigg, as to the Border Leicesters. We were very much indebted to those gentlemen for the trouble they took in furnishing us with their advice and assistance in getting the best specimens of both kinds of Leicesters. Having determined to carry on the trial from the time they were lambs, Mr. Sandy procured for us ten wether lambs from Colonel Inge, near Tamworth, and Mr. Usher also got for us ten wether lambs from Mr. Hardie, near Kelso. Although the experiment rests mainly between the above two lots, still Lord Kinnaird wished it somewhat more extensive, and ten wether lambs were selected from our own Leicester flock, and also ten wether lambs from our flock of grey-faced Cotswolds. This, though adding to the expense, also added to the experience, and gave nearly full work to the person in charge of all the weighings and measurements of food, &c. The experiment commenced on the 26th of August, by dividing a piece of rich old pasture into four equal pieces, further divisions being made by means of iron feeding-hurdles, moved four or five times a day, according as required. We thus found out what quantity of grass alone each of the lots consumed in four weeks; all the sheep were weighed at the commencement of experiment, and every four weeks afterwards. The ground thus pastured by each lot was then allowed them for exercise during the winter months of the trial. I may here mention that the necessary confinement of the sheep occasioned us much trouble, owing to their feet becoming sore, which was increased by a very wet season. This sometimes made a very great dif ference in the progress of all the lots; still, as they shared alike, it only made the value of all the sheep rather less at the end, so it could not interfere much with the results of the experiment. The second four weeks they had cut clover weighed out to them in troughs, along with oats, cake, and Indian corn; of the artificial substan ces we regulated the supply to each lot as the animals would eat, thus leaving the more bulky portions of the food-as grass, clover, turnips, &c.-to test the qualities of the different kinds of sheep. The third four weeks all the lots had turnips cut in troughs, along with hay, chaff, and oats, cake and meal, as formerly; they had turnips and mangolds for eight months, when they returned to clover for part of the eleventh month, and on grass all the twelfth, in the same manner as the first month, with the addition of oilcake. During the trial they were carefully washed and shorn, and the wool of each sheep weighed, marked, and each lot kept separately. It was all sold at the same price, but the merchant said that the wool of the Border Leicesters, in the present mar kets, was of most value for his purpose, the grey-faced next, and the other Leicesters about equal. In the following tables we shall confine ourselves to each lot, as the particulars of each sheep for a year would only make a multiplicity of figures; and we think it quite sufficient for the purpose of the trial to show the weight at the commencement of experiment on 26th August, and the weight at the end, on the 25th of August following, along with the weight of wool and price; also the price of the sheep when sold, as against so much grass, turnips, mangolds, hay, corn and cake consumed. Before doing so, however, we shall give the particulars of each lot. No. 1 consisted of ten wether lambs from the flock of Colonel Inge, selected for this experiment by Mr. Sandy. They were very early lambs, seemingly, and had been accustomed to artificial food before we got them. In fairness we had to allow them a fortnight's rest before commencing; they were, however, all sound. After being weighed they were put on their piece of grass on the 26th of August, their average weight at that time being 86 lbs. After the first month they did very well, but, owing to causes previously stated, the average gain on each weighing varied or ranged from 4 to nearly 13 lbs. each sheep. The first month we had to put out one, on account of an unfortunate accident by which it got a broken leg, and, to make the lots equal, we also cast one from each of the others, thus reducing the number to nine, which number we carried through all the trial; but some, as previously stated, were from lameness and other causes not sound and well enough to afford a fair criterion of progress. We think, therefore, the best plan is to give the average weight of each sheep in the several lots at the commencement and end, thus making it immaterial whether ten or seven sheep were in the lot. The average weight of ten sheep on 26th August was 86.5 lbs.; the average weight of seven sheep on the 26th of August following was 156.2 lbs.; gain in live weight, 69.7 lbs.; weight of wool of nine sheep, 68 lbs. 4 oz., which sold for £6, 5s. 11⁄2d. The seven sheep were sold for £20. We may here mention that the sheep of this and the other lots were equally divided-one part sold in Edinburgh, and the other in Liverpool. Total for sheep and wool, £26, 5s. 1d. The annexed tables will show the amount of food consumed by this lot during the trial. No. 2 was composed of ten wether lambs, from the flock of Mr. Robert Hardie, Hariotfield, near Kelso, selected for the purpose by Mr. Usher, Stodrigg. They also were allowed about the same time as the previous lot before commencing the trial. This lot had also been accustomed to trough-feeding before, and were a nice lot of lambs; one of them died the first month of the trial, leaving nine to be carried on. They seemed to resist the influence of the confinement and bad weather better than their finer-bred opponents; but even their average gain per four weeks varied from nearly 5 to 15 lbs. each. This was owing to the causes before stated. The average weight of the ten sheep on the 26th of August was 90 lbs. On the 25th of August following, their average weight was 178.4 lbs.; total gain (live weight) 88.4 lbs. The weight of wool of nine sheep was 69 lbs. 13 oz., which sold for £6, 8s. 01d. The seven sheep of this lot sold for £22, 5s., making a total for sheep and wool of £28, 13s. Od. The tables also give the amount of food consumed by this lot during the trial. No. 3 consisted of ten wether lambs, bred by Lord Kinnaird from his Leicester flock; and here we may remark that we have almost always used the small-boned blue-faced Leicester, our rams being obtained from Messrs. Burgess, Stone, Sandy, &c.; and our lambs were evidently at least six weeks younger than those of the preceding lots. They also labored under the disadvantage of not having been accustomed to trough-feeding, for the most part having been newly taken off their mothers and confined for the trial; and, as a natural consequence, for the first two months they rather decreased than increased in weight. After that, however, they improved very rapidly, although, as in all the other lots, their improvement varied very much, as from 3 to 13 lbs. each sheep. The average weight of the ten sheep on the 26th of August was 78.8 lbs. per sheep, and at the end of experiment in August following, 149 lbs.; the total gain, live weight, was thus 71.2 lbs. each. The weight of wool of nine sheep was 62 lbs. 2 oz., and sold for £5, 14s. Seven sheep of this lot sold for £19, 5s. Total for sheep and wool, £24, 19s. The food consumed will be found in the tables. No. 4 consisted of ten wether lambs, bred by Lord Kinnaird out of his flock of grey-faced Cotswolds; and we here take an opportunity of stating our high opinion of this class of sheep-wool, mutton, and quality being largely combined. We are only sorry that we cannot give the real result of the trial of this lot, as in the month of February, during the trial, two of the best of the lot were found dead in one morning. They were replaced by others out of the flock, which, however, were not so heavy at the time, and they had the further disadvantage of not being accustomed to the confinement. The average gain in this lot was large, varying from 7 to 18 lbs. each per four weeks. They did remarkably well after this. The average weight of ten sheep on the 26th of August was 95.1 lbs., and the average weight of seven sheep on the 25th of August following was 180.5 Ibs.; total gain, live weight, was 85.4 lbs. The weight of wool of nine sheep was 81 lbs. 10 oz., which sold for £7, 9s. 8d. Seven sheep sold for £23, 12s. 6d. Total for sheep and wool, £31, 2s. 2d. food consumed are furnished in the tables. The particulars of |