LIKE MANY, I suppose, I have sometimes pondered over the prices we get for our sheep and cattle and wondered if they give their buyers value for money. Prices have, over my lifetime risen steadily, but have usually lagged behind general inflation. This is demonstrated by showing how many we have to sell to buy anything, whether food, medicines or services, compared to how many fewer we needed to sell in times past. Some things puzzle me. Why does a top Blackie ram make 10 times the price of a top Cheviot ram, when Blackie lambs make less? I thought I knew the answer, but now I am not so sure.