From Lawrence Ruck 12 January [1881]1
Aberdovey
Jany 12 1880
My dear Mr. Darwin
I have much pleasure in giving you any information I can in regard to the little ledges on the mountain sides or slopes.2 1st. as to grazing I have frequently observed that Cattle & Sheep do graze across the Slope horizontally & rarely feed vertically except when wind or rain compel them to turn their tails down to protect their heads or when they maintain their onward course horizontally. I should consider the horizontal ledges one sees on our very steep slopes to be caused by the Sheep depasturing thereon as both Cattle & Sheep usually maintain a horizontal position while grazing to save I suppose their back sinews & for their comfort that being so the angle of the bed of the valley would not affect their position usually at right angles to the perpendicular or nearly so
On the lower Heaths where Cattle graze with the Sheep there are two sets of pathways or ledges on the steep sides of the gorges caused by the Stock being driven to seek Shelter or by the Shepherds from boundary to boundary or other reasons Our mountain Sheep are very clever in knowing how to shift for themselves with the least amount of friction or loss to their bodies so they dont go straight up a hillside by choice
I shall be most happy to answer any other question you may have for me on the subject though there is little more to add that I can think of I have not consulted any of our Shepherds as I feel sure they wd only confirm my observations if questioned on the matter
Believe me My dear Mr Darwin | yours very truly | Lawce. Ruck
Footnotes
Summary
Discusses the grazing habits of sheep and cattle on steep hillsides.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-12417
- From
- Lawrence Ruck
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Aberdovey
- Source of text
- DAR 176: 224
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 12417,” accessed on 28 September 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-12417.xml