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diff --git a/22520.txt b/22520.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..28c4fe5 --- /dev/null +++ b/22520.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6039 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Cattle and Cattle-breeders, by William M'Combie + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Cattle and Cattle-breeders + +Author: William M'Combie + +Release Date: September 5, 2007 [EBook #22520] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CATTLE AND CATTLE-BREEDERS *** + + + + +Produced by Steven Giacomelli and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images produced by Core Historical Literature +in Agriculture (CHLA), Cornell University) + + + + + + +CATTLE AND CATTLE-BREEDERS + + + +BY + +WILLIAM M'COMBIE, M.P. + +TILLYFOUR + + + +SECOND EDITION, REVISED + + + +WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS +EDINBURGH AND LONDON +MDCCCLXIX + + + + +Transcriber's Note: The advertisements and reviews that preceded the +title page have been moved to the end of this text. + + + + +CONTENTS. + + +CHAP. PAGE + + I. THE FEEDING OF CATTLE, ETC. 1 + + II. REMINISCENCES, 34 + +III. THE CATTLE TRADE, THEN AND NOW, 67 + + IV. BLACK POLLED ABERDEEN AND ANGUS CATTLE AND SHORTHORNS, 86 + + V. HINTS ON THE BREEDING AND CARE OF CATTLE, 99 + + + + +CATTLE AND CATTLE-BREEDERS. + + + + +I. THE FEEDING OF CATTLE, ETC. + +(_Read before the Chamber of Agriculture._) + + +As my friend Mr Stevenson and some other members of the Chamber of +Agriculture have expressed a desire that I should read a paper on my +experience as a feeder of cattle, I have, with some hesitation, put +together a few notes of my experience. I trust the Chamber will +overlook the somewhat egotistical form into which I have been led in +referring to the subject of dealing in cattle. + +My father and my grandfather were dealers in cattle. The former carried +on a very extensive business: he had dealings with several of the most +eminent feeders in East Lothian; among others, with the late Adam +Bogue, Linplum, John Rennie of Phantassie, Mr Walker, Ferrygate, &c. I +cannot express how much I reverence the memory of the late Adam Bogue, +as one of the finest specimens of a kind-hearted gentleman I have ever +met. Other friends of my father and of myself in East Lothian I also +recall with the greatest respect; among these let me mention William +Brodie, John Brodie, William Kerr, John Slate, Archibald Skirving, and +Mr Broadwood, farmers, all eminent as feeders of stock. My father's +chief business-connection was with East Lothian; but he had also a +connection with Mid-Lothian and the county of Fife, and a large trade +with England. At one of the Michaelmas Trysts of Falkirk he sold 1500 +cattle. He wished to give all the members of his family a good +education. I was kept at school, and was afterwards two years at +college; but to this day I regret my inattention when at school. + +My father was very unwilling that I should follow his business, knowing +that it was a very precarious one; but what could he do with me? I +would do nothing else, and he was obliged to yield. I worked on the +farm for years, when not away at the fairs, with the servants, and +shared their diet. I cut two harvests, and during the season took +charge of the cattle. My first speculation was a L12 grass-field. In +this I had a partner, an excellent man, who had been a servant to my +father for twenty years. It was a good year, and we divided L15 of +profit. This gave me encouragement. I yearly increased my speculations, +and gradually got into my father's business at the Falkirk markets and +Hallow Fair. My father was very indulgent, and sent me away to a fair +when a very young man, giving me authority to buy, and money to pay +for, half-a-dozen beasts. I exceeded my commission and bought three +little lots--about fifteen in all. The owners trusted me the money I +was short. I drove them home myself--about sixteen miles--feeling very +proud of my drove. My father examined them next morning, and remarked, +"They have not the countenance of beasts." Of course, this chagrined me +very much. This was about my first appearance as a buyer of cattle, and +some of the beasts I remember to this day. I believe there is no better +way to train a young man than to put him to market without assistance. +If a man cannot back himself, he is unfit for the trade of a butcher, a +jobber, or grazier. + +My father retired with a good name, and I retained his old customers. +On one occasion only did Adam Bogue buy a beast from any dealer except +from my father or myself, and he declared he was no gainer by the +transaction. He purchased 120 cattle yearly. The late Mr Broadwood +always bought about eighty beasts at the Michaelmas Fair. I put up the +number and the size he wanted, and he bought them from me and my father +for many years, always choosing middle-sized three and four year olds, +and never going beyond L11 per head. The highest figure at that time +for feeding-cattle at Falkirk Tryst was about L13. On Tuesday morning +he came to my cattle, and inspected them first of any he looked at, and +asked their price. With such a customer as Mr Broadwood I asked close. +To some parties it is necessary to give halter. He then went away and +examined the cattle of other dealers, but always came back in about an +hour; and I think he never once failed to deal with me. He was a good +judge, and did not require any assistance in selecting his stock; he +came alone. + +I had also several dealings with Mr Broadwood's son, but only +occasionally, and he did not hold so close to me as his father had +done. I also retained the friendship of Robert Walker, the Messrs +Brodie, and Archibald Skirving, and secured for myself that of Mr +Buist, the late William Kerr, the late John Slate, and John Dudgeon, +Almondhill. My father and I always had about the best cattle at Falkirk +Tryst. + +There was then a great trade with Cumberland at the Michaelmas Tryst +for horned Aberdeen cattle. The animals were sent from Cumberland to +Barnet in spring, and sold off the marshes fat in July and August. My +best sixty generally commanded the highest price. + +The late Mr William Thom was my great opponent in the horned-cattle +trade, and sometimes beat me despite all my efforts. When we saw it for +our interest we went in company, and attended all the great fairs in +the north; and in conjunction with each other we secured a good +proportion of the best cattle. Our grazing cattle were always sold +separately. Mr Thom must still be remembered by many. He was a giant in +strength: an honester man never lived; perhaps a little decided in his +manner, but of great ability and perseverance. As copartners we were +not very regular book-keepers, and our accounts got confused. At the +wind-up at Hallow Fair, as we had the accounts of the Falkirk Trysts +likewise to settle, we worked at them for days, and the longer we +worked the more confused they became. To this day I do not know in +whose favour the balance was. For the future we resolved to act +separately. It was a bad Hallow Fair for large cattle. I have doubled +stirks at Hallow Fair, buying them at from L2 to L4, and, to use an +Aberdeen expression, turning them heels over heads. But I never could +make a shilling of profit out of large cattle. At Hallow Fair Mr Thom +and I had unfortunately sixty very large cattle left over unsold from +the Michaelmas, many of which had cost L13 and L14 in Aberdeenshire. Mr +Thom had the selling of them. He had just one offer in the shape of +three gentlemen--one from East Lothian, one from Fife, and one from +Perth, who likewise joined. They were sold the next day at L12, 5s. +a-head. After the bargain was struck, the gentlemen requested Mr Thom +to divide them. His answer was, with a sarcastic look to his customers, +"Well, gentlemen, you have been good and great friends for two days, it +would be a great pity for me to make you quarrel now." Mr Thom, who was +thoroughly "awake," turned upon his heel and went away. I divided the +beasts for the gentlemen; and to divide a lot of beasts equally is not +such an easy matter as some might suppose. + +I have often been puzzled in dividing, say, forty beasts into four tens +(I had often to divide lots of cattle for my customers when I was in +the lean-cattle trade). The cattle are first cut through as equally as +possible; the two divisions are then cut through again, and you have +thus four tens. They are then examined, and a good beast is exchanged +for a bad from the best to the worst side, and so on alternately until +you bring them as equal as it is possible to make them. But with all my +experience, I have often been unable to satisfy myself of the equality +of the four tens; and when this was the case, I had to decide what was +the difference and tell the buyers. If you draw, say, No. 1, being the +most valuable lot, you must pay to the gentleman drawing No. 2, an +inferior lot, the sum of L2, L3, or L5, as the case may be, &c. This +may seem strange to a good judge of cattle, but let him be called on +himself to decide in such a case. He may naturally think a change of a +beast will make all right, but he will find that in some cases no +exchange will rectify the matter to his satisfaction. In connection +with this let me offer my friends a piece of advice:--if they buy a cut +of cattle from a dealer, say twenty out of sixty, a neutral party and a +good judge ought to divide the cattle: it should not be the buyer, and +much less ought it to be the dealer, because the seller knows the +beasts individually; and however well you drive sixty cattle round the +circle, there will always be a better and a worse side. The dealer sees +this at a glance, and, if so inclined, can make the cut much as he +likes. The buyer, again, if he is as good a judge as the jobber (which +is seldom the case), if allowed to cut them, would be likely to make a +good cut for himself, and not a fair one for the seller; but the +difference will not be so glaring, as he cannot know the beasts as the +dealer does. I am speaking always of a fair cut as sold from the sixty. +It is not easy to explain in writing how this division is made; but as +there is no doubt many a one has been bitten, I shall do my best to +describe the process. Suppose the sixty beasts are well driven through +one another, which is always done before a cut is attempted, and +suppose the dealer is to cut the cattle, he merely gives the lot a +glance; he can see in a moment the strong and the weak side, for there +will be a difference. He will run off the twenty from the worst side of +the sixty, and he will run the number off to a beast or two. It is very +quickly done; the stick is used sharply, and in running off the twenty +he can easily put six or eight of the best in the line to any side he +may think fit. I do not mean to say this is often done, but I wish to +show that it can be managed. + +In selling lean cattle there is a great deal to be gained by choosing a +favourable stance and showing them off properly to the buyers. Cattle +look best on the face of a moderate sloping bank, and worst of all at a +dead wall. The larger the number shown in a lot, especially of polled +cattle, as they stand close together, they look the better. I never +liked to show less than forty in a lot, but sixty will look better than +forty, and eighty better still. I never would break a lot of beasts +except for a consideration in price, as the cattle left behind never +have the same appearance. The dealer likewise knows that cattle look +largest on the off-side. Many buyers like to see every beast in a lot +go past them; and if the dealer can get the buyer to inspect them on +the off-side, it is to his own advantage. Cattle and sheep are the +better of a good rouse-up when the buyer is inspecting them. I have +often seen quarrelling between the buyers and the drovers, the buyers +insisting on the drovers letting them alone, while the drovers will not +let them stand. I have seen a clever man keep some of the best beasts +always in view of the buyers, a stick with a whipcord being used for +the purpose. + +Many were the long rides, the late nights, and early mornings that Thom +and I had together in the North buying drove cattle. In the end of +October and beginning of November the nights get very dark. At Skippy +Fair of New Deer we nearly came to grief two or three years in +succession; it is held in the end of October. There was a decent man, +Abel, and his wife, who lived in Inverurie, and attended all the fairs. + Their conveyance was a cart. They were honest hard-working people, and +good judges of cows. They knew very well what they were about; and they +required to do so, for Mrs Abel brought up, I believe, nineteen of a +family: she was a very stout, "motherly" woman. They drove home +likewise in the cart, always buying two cows, which they led with ropes +behind the cart. A cart with a cow attached by a rope at each side will +take up the greater part of a narrow road. It was very dark, and near +the old Castle of Barra. Thom rode a very fast horse he had hired from +Richard Cruickshank, a celebrated judge of horses, who was at that time +a horse-hirer in Aberdeen. I rode an old steady pony of my own which +had been sixteen years in our family. Thom was going before at a +dashing pace, I considerably in the rear, when bang he came against the +ropes attaching the cows to the cart. His horse was thrown into the +ditch; he recovered himself, but fell again, coming down heavily upon +Thom, who was very much hurt, and had to go home instead of going to +Potarch Market next day. I escaped, Thom's mishap warning me of the +danger. At the same fair next year we had bought, as we found on +comparing our books, ninety-nine cattle, mostly stirks. It was dark +before we got the animals settled for, and we had to watch them on the +market-stance. While crossing the lonely moor between New Deer and +Methlick, Thom was as usual a little in advance, I following on the +same old pony the best way I could close at his heels, when all at once +a man took hold of his horse by the reins and asked him the road to New +Deer. I observed another man and a box or two lying on the road, such +as are used by travelling hawkers. Thom struck at the man's head with +his stick with all his might, saying at the same time, "_Cattle of +your description cannot be far out of your road anywhere_." The man +let go his hold, and Thom galloped off, calling to me to follow, which +I was nothing loath to do. Thom's horse was white, and mine was a bay. +The vagabonds might have seen a white horse coming on in the dark, +while they did not observe the bay, and may thus have been led to +suppose there was only one man. As the boxes were laid aside, I have no +doubt they intended a robbery, though this did not strike me at the +time. But our troubles were not yet at an end; at the same old Castle +of Barra, Thom, still in advance, called out, "_The wife, the cows, +and the ropes again!_" He had just time to save his distance, and +save me too. + +The ninety-nine beasts turned out to be only ninety-five (they were no +great spec after all, leaving only L45 of profit). Thom had booked four +he had never bought; and when the lot was counted to be joined to the +drove, they would not number more than ninety-five. I advertised for +them, and had a man in Buchan a week searching for them; and when I +told Thom in Edinburgh that they could not be found, he confessed he +had never bought them. + +I am not sure if it was the same year we had come up to Edinburgh the +Saturday night before Hallow Fair. We were rather late in getting ready +to go to church. I had heard a great deal about Dr Muir as a preacher, +and we went to hear him; but not being very certain of the church, we +inquired at a gentleman's servant, dressed in splendid livery, very +civilly, the way to Dr Muir's church. Instead of giving a civil reply, +"Oh," he said, "Aberdeen awa'!" Thom, who was very impulsive, came +across the side of the fellow's head with his umbrella, and laid him +flat on his back in the middle of the street, with his heels in the +air. I made no remark, Thom said as little, but walked on as if nothing +had happened. We heard our friend calling after us he would have his +revenge; I hope it was a lesson to him to be civil in future. + +I sent for many years sixty horned cattle in spring to Mr Buist, +Tynninghame. They were grazed in Tynninghame Park, and he also required +other forty or sixty during the season for house-feeding. I only gave +up the commission business when I could carry it out no longer to my +satisfaction and to the advantage of my employers. For years after I +went to the Falkirk markets there was not a white beast to be seen; but +by-and-by Irish-bred cattle appeared, and then the Shorthorns. The +business of dealing in north-country cattle came to be worthless. I +bade Falkirk adieu, and turned my attention entirely to the rearing and +fattening of cattle at home. I gave up the fascinating business of a +lean-cattle jobber, seeing it was done for, and I have never regretted +my resolution. The lean-cattle trade was difficult to manage, and in +fact was most dangerous. Many a day, when attending Hallow Fair, I have +got up by four or five o'clock in the morning, breakfasted, and not +tasted food till six o'clock at night. The weather was so bad on one +occasion that man and beast were up to the knees in mud. I had my +beasts standing near one of the gates. Mr Archibald Skirving never got +further than them; he bought forty, sent them away, and returned home. +As he bade me good morning, he remarked, "I would not like to be in +your place to-day." + +I have stood many a bad Hallow Fair, but the worst was about twenty +years ago. I never was so much in want of assistance from my friends. +The price of cattle had fallen very much after the Michaelmas Tryst. +Turnips were bad in East Lothian. I had been on a visit to Mr Buist, +and met Mr Kerr, Mr Slate, Mr Walker, &c. Both buyers and sellers +anticipated a bad fair, and it turned out the worst I ever saw; it is +generally either a very good or very bad market. Tuesday came, and with +it a perfect storm of wind and rain--the worst market-day I ever +encountered. You could hardly know the colour of the cattle, which were +standing up to their bellies in a stubble-field. My friends got to the +market; there were Mr Buist, Mr Walker, Ferrygate, Mr Kerr, Mr Slate, +and one or two more. They gave my cattle what examination it was +possible to give animals in such a stormy day. Out of about two hundred +which I had, they wanted about one hundred and seventy. Mr Walker said +to me, "I think you might give us a glass of brandy;" and accordingly +we retired to a tent, from which we did not move for an hour, as one +wanted forty, another thirty, another twenty, &c.; and of course it +took a good deal of time to talk over the different lots. At last we +rose. I had, while seated, drawn them as to the price as far as they +would come. The weather was dreadful. I was very unwilling, and they +were not very anxious, to face the storm. I was in the middle of my +customers. I did what I could to get an advance on their offers, but I +could not extract another farthing; and when all was settled, I gave +the accustomed clap of the dealer on the hand all round, and I did not +see them again till night, except Mr William Kerr, who, with a +struggle, got the length of my remaining thirty beasts, and bought ten. +I think I hear the triumphant howls of the men to this day, as they +started the nine score of cattle for their destinations, one lot after +another, through the astonished dealers, whose cattle at that hour, I +believe, were never priced. There were few sold on the first day. I +could not sell my twenty remaining cattle, and could not even get a bid +for them. Of all the good turns my friends did for me, this was the +best. I came out with a small profit, while the losses sustained by +other parties at the market were heavy. A great many cattle were sent +farther south, and returned back to the north. One respectable dealer +told me that no one had ever asked the price of his cattle, and coolly +added, "I have taken turnips from ----, and sent the cattle home." I +never lost a shilling in East Lothian, or by a bad debt, as a +lean-cattle dealer. + +To be a good judge of store cattle is exceedingly difficult. We have +many judges of fat cattle among our farmers and butchers, and a few +good judges of breeding stock; but our really good judges of store +cattle are exceedingly few. A judge of store cattle ought to be able to +say at a glance how much the animal will improve, how much additional +value you can put upon him on good, bad, or indifferent land, and on +turnips, in three, six, or twelve months. Unless a grazier is able to +do this, he is working in the dark, and can never obtain eminence in +his profession. Since my first speculation, already referred to--the +half of the L12 field--I have bought and grazed store cattle for nearly +fifty years. No one has been able to put upon paper a clear definition, +such as can be understood by the reader, of the characteristics of a +good store beast. It is only practice and a natural gift that can +enable any one to master the subject. There are a few rules, however, +that the buyer of store cattle should be acquainted with. He ought to +know how they have been kept for the previous six months, otherwise +their keep may be entirely thrown away. I make it an almost universal +rule (and I have never departed from the rule except with a loss), that +I will graze no cattle except those that have been kept in the open +strawyard, and have been fed exclusively on turnips and straw. If you +can get them off yellow turnips it will be decidedly to your advantage. +I have seen this proved by dividing twenty beasts, and keeping one half +on yellow turnips, and one half on swedes, both lots getting full +turnips. Those on the swedes shot far ahead in the strawyard of those +upon the yellows. When taken up from grass, however, the cattle fed +upon the yellows were equal to those fed on the swedes. They were +grazed together. The difference of improvement in different lots of +cattle must have often struck every observer. + +I am well acquainted with the different strawyards in Morayshire, and +know how the cattle are kept, and how they thrive. There are some farms +on which they thrive better than others, even when their keep is in +other respects the same. There are farms in Morayshire which are not +breeding farms, and where the young stock does not thrive, and the +calves have to be sold, and even old cattle only thrive for a certain +length of time. Some farms are apt to produce cancer on the throat and +side of the head. I pay little attention to this, as change of air +cures the complaint. For the first two or three weeks after a beast is +attacked with this disease, it will go back in condition; but I have +seldom seen much loss by it. If in warm weather, the beast may have to +be taken up to avoid the flies; if the disease is inside the throat, it +may interfere with the breathing, and the animal may have to be killed. +I bought from the late Mr David Sheriffs, Barnyards of Beauly, in +spring, ten Highlanders, every one of which had cancer in different +stages. I grazed them until October, when the cancers had all +disappeared, and the beasts did well (for Highlanders) at grass. + +If you put upon grass cattle which have been fed through the winter +upon cake, corn, brewers' wash, grains, or potatoes, and kept in hot +byres or close strawyards, and look to them to pay a rent, you will +find that they will soon make a poor man of you. This mode of feeding +is unnatural. Before the animals begin to improve, three months will +have passed. If half-fat cattle are bought, which have been kept close +in byres or strawyards, and put to grass in April or the first two +weeks of May, and cold stormy weather sets in, with no covering to +defend them, they will fall off so much that the purchaser will +scarcely believe they are the beasts he bought. Thus he not only loses +all his grass, but the beasts will be lighter at the end of three +months than when they were put into the field. Let me not, however, be +misunderstood. I do not mean to say that a few weeks of a little cake +or corn will ruin a beast for grazing; but you may depend upon it, that +the less artificial food given during winter the better. When kept upon +the food I have specified for months and months, they are perfectly +unfit for grazing. I regard cake as the safest substitute for turnips; +and corn, potatoes, brewers' wash, and grain, as the worst. But my +ambition is to graze a bullock that has never been forced, and has +never tasted cake, corn, or potatoes. The store cattle I winter for +grazing are all kept in open strawyards, with a sufficient covering for +bad weather, and as dry a bed as the quantity of straw will permit. +This is indispensable for the thriving of the cattle. They receive as +many turnips as they can eat. Beasts must always be kept progressing; +if they are not, they will never pay. My store cattle never see cake, +corn, or potatoes. I would rather throw potatoes to the dunghill than +give them to a store bullock, though I would give them to my fatting +bullocks.[1] If I can get the bullocks for grazing that I want, I will +not lose one mouthful of grass upon them. They will not go on, however, +without proper care and superintendence. It requires a practised eye. +If a grazier has a number of fields and many cattle, to carry out the +treatment of his cattle properly, shifting and fresh grass once in ten +or fourteen days should, if possible, be adopted. This has always been +my practice. In one day I have observed a marked difference in the +improvement of animals after the shift. + + [1] As to giving potatoes to store cattle, since writing the + above, I wish to modify the opinion I have expressed to a certain + extent. I had a conversation with Mr Hope on the subject, and he + states that his belief is, that potatoes are not prejudicial to + the growth of store cattle when put to grass, and that his + practice is to give them potatoes. I will admit that a few + potatoes may not do a store beast much harm; but in my experience + in Aberdeenshire I have found that in cattle which have been fed + with potatoes the black colour changes to a dusty brown; they are + also bad thrivers. A beast that sports that colour is never doing + well. I shall, however, prosecute the inquiry. + +The grazier must always consider the quality of his grass-land, and buy +cattle adapted for it. It would be very bad policy to buy fine cattle +for poor or middling lands. You must always keep in view how the cattle +have been kept. If they have been kept improperly for your purpose, +their size, whether large or small, will not save you from loss. If the +cattle are kept on cake, corn, potatoes, or brewers' wash or grain, +during the previous winter, it will be ruin to the grazier. Let it not +be supposed, however, that I recommend buying lean, half-starved +beasts. What I wish to impress on you is, that you must keep the cattle +always full of flesh; and, as a breeder, you must be careful not to +lose the calf flesh. If you do so by starving the animal at any time of +his growth, you lose the cream--the covering of flesh so much prized by +all our best retail butchers. Where do all the scraggy, bad-fleshed +beasts come from that we see daily in our fat markets, and what is the +cause of their scragginess? It is because they have been stinted and +starved at some period of their growth. If the calf flesh is once lost, +it can never be regained. A great deal of tallow may be got internally +by high feeding, but the animal can never again be made one that will +be prized by the great retail butcher. Our Aberdeen working bullocks +carry little good meat. Draught as well as starvation takes off the +flesh. They are generally only fit for ship beef. + +Let me now offer a few observations as to the breeds of cattle best +adapted for paying a rent--the great object of our cattle rearing and +feeding. I have grazed the pure Aberdeen and Angus, the Aberdeen and +North-country crosses, the Highland, the Galloways, and what is termed +in Angus the South-country cattle, the Dutch, and the Jutland. Except +the two latter, all the others have got a fair trial. I am aware that +the merits of the pure Aberdeen and Angus form a difficult and delicate +subject to deal with. I know that the breeders of Shorthorns will +scrutinise my statements carefully. But my only object is to lay down +my own experience, and I trust that I have divested myself of prejudice +as much as possible. If store cattle of the Aberdeen and Angus breed +out of our best herds can be secured, I believe _no other_ breed +of cattle will pay the grazier more money in the north for the same +value of keep. But there is a race of starved vermin which is known by +some in the north by the name of "Highland hummlies," which I consider +the worst of all breeds. No keep will move them much. At the top of +these I must place those with the brown ridge along the back. They can +be made older, but it takes more ability than I ever had to make them +much bigger. Keep is entirely thrown away upon such animals. As regards +good Aberdeen or North-country crosses, they are rent-payers. He would +be very prejudiced indeed who would not acknowledge their merits. I +graze more cross-bred cattle than pure-bred polled. The Highlanders on +our land are not profitable; they are of such a restless disposition +that they are unsuitable for stall-feeding, however well they are +adapted for grazing purposes in certain localities and under certain +conditions. But, I repeat, for stall-feeding they are unsuitable; +confinement is unnatural to their disposition. The last Highlanders I +attempted to feed were bought at a cheap time. In the month of June +they were most beautiful animals, and they grazed fairly. I tied them +up; but they broke loose again and again, and ran three miles off to +the glen where they had been grazed. There was one of them that his +keeper never dared to approach, and the stall had to be cleaned out +with a long crook. They consumed few turnips, and did not pay sixpence +for what turnips they did consume. No other description of cattle, +however, is so beautiful for noblemen's and gentlemen's parks. + +As to the Galloway cattle, they also have had a fair trial with me. I +was in the habit of buying for years from one of the most eminent +judges of store Galloways in Britain--Captain Kennedy of Bennane--a lot +of that breed. He selected them generally when stirks from all the +eminent breeders of Galloway cattle, and bought nearly all the prize +stirks at the different shows. In fact, he would not see a bad Galloway +on his manors. The Galloway has undoubtedly many and great +qualifications. On poor land they are unrivalled, except perhaps by the +small Highlanders. Captain Kennedy's cattle always paid me; they were +grazed on a 100-acre park of poor land--so poor, indeed, that our +Aberdeens could not subsist upon it. I had ultimately to break it up +for cropping. If I had not been obliged to do this, I should not have +liked to have missed Captain Kennedy's Galloways. Although the +Galloways are such good cattle to graze--and this goes to prove the +truth of my remarks as to the forcing system, the Galloways at Glenapp +being wintered out--they are not so easily finished as our Aberdeen and +Angus or cross-bred cattle. They have too much thickness of skin and +hair, too much timber in their legs; they are too thick in their tails, +too deep in their necks, too sunken in the eye, for being very fast +feeders. It is difficult to make them ripe. You can bring them to be +three-quarters fat, and there they stick; it is difficult to give them +the last dip. If, however, you succeed in doing so, there is no other +breed worth more by the pound weight than a first-class Galloway. + +As to what we term the South-country cattle, I have also given them a +trial. My experience is that they are great beasts to grow; that they +consume an immense deal of food, but that they are difficult to finish; +and when finished they are very indifferent sellers in the London +market. They generally carry a deal of offal along with them; but those +who have patience, and keep them for many months, they may pay for +keep. I have had a few German and Jutland cattle through my hands, but +not in sufficient numbers to enable me to say anything about them +worthy of your notice. After trying all the breeds of cattle I have +specified, I have come to the conclusion that the Aberdeen and Angus +polled, and the Aberdeen and North-country crosses, are the cattle best +adapted, under ordinary circumstances, in the north of Scotland, for +paying the feeder. Our cross-bred cattle, and especially the +South-country cattle, are greater consumers of food than the pure +Aberdeens. This is a part of the subject which has never got the +consideration it deserves. When the cross and South-country cattle are +two or three years old, and when the day lengthens out, they consume a +fearful quantity of food. The age of cattle ought also to be taken into +consideration. No doubt a young two-year-old will grow more than a +three-year-old, and for a long keep may pay as well. But I have been +always partial to aged cattle; and if you want a quick clearance, age +is of great consequence. The great retail London butchers are not +partial to "the two teeths," as they call them; and I have seen them on +the great Christmas-day examining the mouths of cattle before they +would buy them. They die badly as to internal fat, and are generally +light on the fore-rib. I have always given a preference to aged cattle, +as they get sooner fat, are deep on the fore-rib, and require less cake +to finish them. Aged cattle, however, are now difficult to be had, and +every year they will be scarcer with the present demand for beef. A +perfect breeding or feeding animal should have a fine expression of +countenance--I could point it out, but it is difficult to describe upon +paper. It should be mild, serene, and expressive. The animal should be +fine in the bone, with clean muzzle, a tail like a rat's, and not +ewe-necked; short on the legs. He should have a small well-put-on head, +prominent eye, a skin not too thick nor too thin; should be covered +with fine silky hair--to the touch like a lady's glove; should have a +good belly to hold his meat; should be straight-backed, well ribbed up, +and well ribbed home; his hook-bones should not be too wide apart. A +wide-hooked animal, especially a cow after calving, always has a +vacancy between the hook-bone and the tail, and a want of the most +valuable part of the carcass. I detest to see hooks too wide apart; +they should correspond with the other proportions of the body. A level +line should run from the hook to the tail. He should be well set in at +the tail, free of patchiness there and all over, with deep thighs, that +the butcher may get his second round and prominent brisket deep in the +fore-rib, with a good purse below him, which is always worth L1 to him +in the London market; well fleshed in the fore-breast, with equal +covering of fine flesh all over his carcass, so valuable to the +butcher. His outline ought to be such that if a tape is stretched from +the fore-shoulder to the thigh, and from the shoulder along the back to +the extremity there, the line should lie close, with no vacancies; and +without a void, the line should fill from the hook to the tail. From +the shoulder-blade to the head should be well filled up--as we say, +good in the neck vein. I am aware that the preceding remarks as to the +quality and proportions a beast should possess must be very +unsatisfactory to you, as they are to myself; scarcely any one animal +has possessed them all, and to look for the half of them in a good +commercial beast would be vain. I have consulted no writer upon the +subject; they are set down, and not in good order, just as they struck +me at the time. Thick legs, thick tails, sunken eyes, and deep necks, +with thick skin and bristly hair, always point to sluggish feeders. + +In cold weather in the month of May, the old silky coat of the +strawyard bullock is of great advantage. If we could get the qualities +and proportions I have specified in animals, it would not be difficult +to make them fat. It would be difficult only to make them lean, when +once in condition. A high standing, want of ribbing-up and ribbing +home, with the tucked-up flank, always denote a worthless feeder. You +must all have observed how difficult it is to bring such cattle into a +state for killing. It will take a deal of cake and corn to make them +ripe. A great many can never be made more than fresh; it is only a +waste of time and money to keep them on. + +I have adverted to the way cattle should be treated in winter as +stores. The earlier you can put cattle upon grass so much the better. +Cattle never forget an early bite of new grass. A week's new grass in +Aberdeenshire at the first of the season is worth at least two and a +half upon old grass; and it is wonderful what improvement a good +strawyard bullock will make in four or five weeks at the first of the +season. If kept on straw and turnips alone in winter, he may add a +third or at least a fourth to his live weight. But much depends on the +weather. I have never known cattle make much improvement in April, or +even up to the 12th of May, because the weather is so unsteady, and the +cold nights when they are exposed in the fields take off the condition +the grass puts on. The grazier will find it of great advantage to house +his cattle at night during this season. In Aberdeenshire the 10th of +May is about the earliest period cattle should be put to grass. Where +there is new grass, first year, it is a most difficult matter to get +the full advantage of it. There is no other grass to be compared with +it for putting on beef in Aberdeenshire. You must be careful at the +first of the season, if much rain falls, not to allow the cattle to +remain on the young grass. They must be shifted immediately; and no one +can get the proper advantage of such grass who is deprived of the power +of shifting the cattle into a park of older grass till the land again +becomes firm for the cattle. I have seen a small field of new grass in +the month of May or the beginning of June utterly ruined in one night, +when heavily stocked with cattle. When wet and cold the cattle wander +about the whole night, and in the morning the fields are little better +than ploughed land. In fact, the field so injured will never recover +until broken up again. + +In regard to my own farms, I cut scarcely any hay. I pasture almost all +my new grass, and the moment the cattle's feet begin to injure the +grass, they are removed. If cattle are changed to an old grass field, +so much the better; but they will be safe on second or third year's +grass, provided the land is naturally dry. By the 1st July, the new +grass land gets consolidated, and you are safe. New grass fields are +bad to manage in another respect. The grass comes very rapidly about +the 10th June, and if you are not a very good judge of what you are +about, it will get away in a few days, become too rank, and will lose +its feeding qualities during the remainder of the season. By the middle +of July it will be nothing but withered herbage. Young grass ought to +be well eaten down, and then relieved for two or three weeks; then +return the cattle, and the grass will be as sweet as before. It +requires practice to know the number of cattle, and the proper time to +put on these cattle, to secure the full benefits of new grass. Three +days' miscalculation may cause a heavy loss. I have been bit so often, +and found the difficulty so great, that I fear to extend my +observations on this part of the subject, when I am addressing +gentlemen many of whom make their young grass into hay, or sell the +grass to the cowfeeders. The pasturing of new grass, in which the +farmers of Aberdeenshire and the north of Scotland have a deep +interest, may not apply to many other parts of Scotland. + +I come now to the way cattle should be treated after being taken from +their pastures and put on turnips. The earlier you put them up, the +sooner they will be ready for the butcher. The practice of tying the +cattle early up in Aberdeenshire is now almost universal; the success +of the feeder depends upon it, for a few weeks may make a difference of +several pounds. I recollect tying up a lot of cattle at Ardmundo, +thirty in number--a fair cut of ten being left in the field at home on +fine land and beautiful grass. The thirty were tied up by the 1st of +September, the ten on the 1st of October. The weather was cold, wet, +and stormy; and between the improvement the thirty had made and the +deterioration upon the ten, there was by my computation, however +incredible it may appear, L5 a-head of difference. Mr Knowles of +Aberdeen happened to see the cattle, and when he came upon the ten he +asked what was the matter with them. He could scarcely credit the +facts; their hair was so bad that they actually looked like diseased +animals, and it was long before they took a start. I shall state the +method I adopt. I sow annually from twelve to sixteen acres of tares, +and about the middle of June save a portion of the new grass full of +red clover, and from the 1st to the 20th of August both tares and +clover are fit for the cattle. I have for many years fed from three +hundred to four hundred cattle; and if I was not to take them up in +time, I could pay no rent at all. A week's house-feeding in August, +September, and October, is as good as three weeks' in the dead of +winter. I begin to put the cattle into the yards from the 1st to the +middle of August, drafting first the largest cattle intended for the +great Christmas market. This drafting gives a great relief to the grass +parks, and leaves abundance to the cattle in the fields. During the +months of August, September, and October, cattle do best in the yards, +the byres being too hot; but when the cold weather sets in there is no +way, where many cattle are kept, in which they will do so well as at +the stall. You cannot get loose-boxes for eighty or a hundred cattle on +one farm. I generally buy my store cattle in Morayshire. They have all +been kept in the strawyard, never being tied. When the cattle are tied +up on my farms, a rope is thrown over the neck of the bullock; the +other end of the rope is taken round the stake; two men are put upon +it, and overhaul the bullock to his place. When tightened up to the +stall the chain is attached to the neck, and the beast is fast. We can +tie up fifty beasts in five hours in this way. When tied, you must keep +a man with a switch to keep up the bullocks. If you did not do this you +would soon have every one of them loose again. They require to be +carefully watched the first night, and in three days they get quite +accustomed to their confinement, except in the case of some very wild +beast. I never lost a bullock by this method of tying up. This system +is like other systems--it requires trained hands to practise it. + +I never give feeding cattle unripe tares; they must be three parts ripe +before being cut. I mix the tares when they are sown with a third of +white pease and a third of oats. When three parts ripe, especially the +white pease, they are very good feeding. Fresh clover, given along with +tares, pease, &c., forms a capital mixture. I sow a proportion of +yellow Aberdeen turnips early to succeed the tares and clover. I find +the soft varieties are more apt to run to seed when sown early than +yellow turnips. + +It is indispensable for the improvement of the cattle that they receive +their turnips clean, dry, and fresh. When obliged to be taken off the +land in wet weather, the hand should be used to fill the turnips from +the land to the carts. The turnips should be pulled and laid in rows of +four or six drills together on the top of one drill, with the tops all +one way and the roots another; but it is better that parties should +follow the carts and pull the turnips from the drills, and throw them +into the carts at once. It is an invariable rule with me that the +turnips are filled by hand in wet weather. Advantage should be taken of +fine weather to secure a good stock of turnips, and a good manager will +always provide for a rainy day. A very considerable proportion of +turnips should be stored, to wait the severe winters very often +experienced on the north-east coast. If I had sufficient command of +labour, I would store the greater part of my Swedish turnips (if ripe). +I would, however, store only a proportion of the Aberdeen yellow, as +they lose the relish, and cattle prefer them from the field; but I +require a proportion of them for calving cows in frost. Frosted turnips +make cows with calf abort, and rather than give calving cows such +turnips I would order them straw and water. Fresh Swedish turnips are +indispensable to feeding cattle during the winter. It is a sorrowful +sight to see a gang of men with picks taking up turnips in a frosty +day, leaving a third of the produce on the land, and the turnips going +before your bullocks as hard as iron. We have almost every year a week +or ten days' fine weather about Christmas, and this should be taken +advantage of to store turnips, if not stored previously. I have tried +all the different modes of storing recommended. I shall not enter on +the minutiae of the subject, as it is now generally so well understood; +and I need only urge here that the roots should not be bled in any way, +that the tops should not be taken off too near to the bulbs, that the +tails be only switched, and that they be pitted and secured +_every_ night to keep them free from frost and rain. I have +adopted my friend Mr Porter of Monymusk's plan (in a late climate and +where Swedish turnips in some years never come to full maturity) of +pitting them upon the land where they grow, from one to two loads +together; and, although not quite ripe, I have never seen a turnip go +wrong when stored in this manner. The land also escapes being poached, +as the turnips are carted in frost, and at a time when the other +operations of the farm are not pressing. A foot of earth will keep them +safe, and they are easily covered by taking a couple of furrows with a +pair of horses on each side of the line of pits. + +In a week or ten days after the first lot of cattle is taken up from +grass, a second lot is taken up. This is a further relief to the +pastures, and the cattle left in the fields thrive better. This taking +up continues every week or ten days to the end of September. At this +period all feeding cattle ought to be under cover that are intended to +be fattened during the succeeding winter. The stronger cattle are +drafted first, and the lesser ones left until the last _cull_ is +put under cover. + +It would be of no use to attempt to feed cattle, unless you can command +a staff of experienced men to take charge of them. However faithful in +other respects, these men must have a taste and a strong liking to +cattle--they must be their hobby. Even with men of the greatest +experience, the difference in the thriving of the different lots upon +the same keep is great. They must not be oppressed with having too many +in charge, or the owner will suffer by his ill-judged parsimony. From +August till November a man may take care of, and pull turnips for, +thirty cattle very well, or a few more, if the cattle are loose; but +when the day gets short, twenty to twenty-five is as many as one man +can feed, to do them justice, if tied up. Good cattlemen are +invaluable. They must not only know what to give the cattle; but the +great secret, especially when cattle are forced up for show purposes, +is to know _what not to give them_. An inexperienced man amongst a +lot of feeding cattle must be a great loss to his employer. Like +everything else, the proper management of the animals cannot be learned +in a day--the cattleman must be always learning. For myself, I can only +say that, long as I have traded in cattle, have studied their +treatment, have considered their symmetry, I am learning something new +every other day. As regards the treatment of cattle when put upon tares +or cut clover, there is no danger; but with turnips an ignorant man may +injure the cattle in one week so much that they may not recover it +during the season. The cattle must be gradually brought on, giving them +a few turnips at first, and increasing the quantity daily, till in from +ten to fourteen days they may get a full supply. When improperly +treated the cattle scour and hove, the stomach getting deranged. It is +a long time before they recover, and some never do well. We generally +cure hove by repeated doses of salts, sulphur, and ginger. Occasionally +a beast will hove under the best treatment; but if you find a lot of +them blown up every day, it is time to change their keeper. In cattle +which are being forced for exhibition, hove is generally the first +warning that the constitution can do no more. I have seen cases so +obstinate that they would swell upon hay or straw without turnips. +Putting the animal out to grass for a couple of months will generally +renovate the constitution and remove the tendency to hove; and after +being taken up from grass, with a man in charge who knows what to give +and _what not to give_, the animal may go on for a few months +longer, and with great attention may at last prove a winner. +Occasionally an animal may be found whose digestion no amount of +forcing will derange, but such cases are very rare. Cattle feeding in +the stall should be kept as clean as the hunter or valuable race-horse, +and their beds should be carefully shaken up. + +I change the feeding cattle from tares and clover on to Aberdeen yellow +turnips, and afterwards to swedes, if possible by the middle of +October. I do not like soft turnips for feeding cattle. The cattle that +I intend for the great Christmas market have at first from 2 lb. to 4 +lb. of cake a-day by the 1st of November. In a week or two I increase +the cake to at least 4 lb. a-day, and give a feed of bruised oats or +barley, which I continue up to the 12th or 14th of December, when they +leave for the Christmas market. The cake is apportioned to the +condition of the different animals, and some of the leanest cattle get +the double of others which are riper. The cattle being tied to the +stall places this quite in your power, while in the strawyard it could +not be done. When ten or twenty beasts in the strawyard stand together, +the strongest take the greatest share, and these are very often the +animals that least require it. I consider the stall a great advantage +over the strawyard in this respect, as you can give each beast what you +wish him to have. My men are told the quantity of cake and corn which I +wish every beast to receive. You must all have observed the inequality +in the improvement of cattle in the strawyard when ten, fifteen, or +twenty beasts are fed together. I have seen the best beast in a lot +when put up, the worst when taken out. The first three weeks after the +cattle are put upon cake along with their turnips, they will put on as +much meat as they will do with an equal quantity of cake for the next +five. It is absolutely necessary to increase the quantity of cake and +corn weekly to insure a steady improvement; and if cattle are forced +upon cake and corn over two or three months, it will, in my opinion, +pay no one. To give unlimited quantities for years, and to say it will +pay, is preposterous. To give fat cattle the finishing dip, cake and +corn, given in moderation and with skill for six weeks before the +cattle are sent to the fat market, will pay the feeder; but to continue +this for more than two months will never pay in Aberdeenshire. This is +no doubt a bold assertion, but I believe it to be correct. The cake and +corn given to cattle day by day loses its effect, till at last you +bring the beast almost to a standstill, and week after week you can +perceive little improvement. Cake, and still more corn, appear to +injure their constitution; grass, turnips, and straw or hay are their +only healthy food. For commercial cattle, and for commercial purposes, +two months is the utmost limit that cake and corn will pay the +Aberdeenshire feeder. There can be no substitute for grass, straw, and +turnips, except for a very limited period; though in times of scarcity, +and to give the last dip to fat cattle, the other feeding materials are +valuable auxiliaries. + +I have kept on a favourite show bullock for a year, thinking I would +improve him, and given him everything he would take; and when that day +twelvemonth came round, he was worse than a twelvemonth before. You can +only torture nature so far; and if you force a yearling bullock, he +will never come to the size that he will attain if kept on common fare. +If you wish to bring a bullock to size for exhibition, give him as much +grass and turnips as he can eat. Begin to force only when he is two and +a half to three years old, and by the time he is four years he will not +only be a neater but a larger animal than if he had been forced +earlier: forcing in youth deteriorates the symmetry of the animal as +well as diminishes his size. I am speaking only of Aberdeen and Angus +cattle, but I believe the breeders of Highlanders are also well aware +of this fact. I am not speaking of pounds, shillings, and pence, or of +the profit to the farmer; for who would think of keeping beasts bred to +himself older than rising three years old? Calves dropped early should +go to the fat market at the age of two years. + +A word as to show bullocks. I believe they are the most unprofitable +speculation an agriculturist can interfere with. To keep a show bullock +as he ought to be kept will cost from 12s. to 15s. a-week, which +amounts to about L40 a-year. + +The method I adopt as to using cake and corn is the following:--On the +different farms where I feed the cattle, I put a fourth part of their +number only upon cake and corn at one time, and six weeks (which is +about my limit of time for cake and corn, &c., paying the feeder) +before they are to be sent to the fat market. When the six weeks are +expired they are sent away; another fourth part of the original number +take their place, and get their six weeks' cake. When they leave, the +other cattle in succession get the same treatment. When turnips are +plentiful the system works very well. The cattle draw beautifully, week +by week, from the different farms, and come out very ripe. I may +mention that almost all the cattle I graze are generally kept during +the previous winter upon as many turnips as they can eat, and are in +high condition when put to grass. I believe, however, that in the south +of Scotland, where there is more corn and less grass land, this method +would not be suitable. Large bills for cake are not easily paid, and +when paid swallow up our profits. When cattle are fed almost +exclusively upon the produce of the farm, the feeders know what they +are about; but this method of feeding requires time and patience, and +there is a long outlay of capital. Still, if the system is adopted and +judiciously managed, upon medium or high-lying and low-rented land, the +cattle treated as above ought to pay the rent and leave a fair profit +to the feeder. There is no doubt that in the north, and especially in +Aberdeenshire, there is a rage for fine cattle; and on my part it has +almost amounted to a "craze." I would have been a richer man to-day if +I had not been so fastidious in my selections; but I cannot endure to +look at, and never will tolerate, a bad beast on my land. The gentlemen +I buy from know my weakness, and they say, if they are anxious to sell, +We must let M'Combie have a "pull." Many are the lots of beasts I have +bought and culled, and I had to pay for it. Sellers have served me +right. Still there is a fatality follows me that I fear it is hopeless +now to endeavour to get over. A good bullock will always be a good one, +and will easily be made ripe--requiring little cake or corn--and come +right out at last. + +The following is the system I have adopted in the selection of the +cattle I have wintered. I buy the best lots I can find during the +summer, fit for wintering and keeping on to the following Christmas. I +then cull the worst of the different lots, feeding the culls and +wintering the tops. By this method I secure a lot of wintering cattle +for the great Christmas market of the ensuing year, without one bad or +indifferent beast among them. The price I have obtained for several +years, with the exception of the culls of my winterers, has been L35 +a-head. + +In Aberdeenshire I consider that a large bullock ought to pay 25s. to +30s. a-month for keep, if he is properly treated. We often get less, +and sometimes a little more, owing in some measure to the way in which +the cattle are bought, the price of beef at the time, the season of the +year the cattle are bought, and the time they are sold. Before we were +threatened with the cattle plague I always made a point of buying my +beasts early in the season, beginning in January and buying monthly up +to May. I had thus a chance of the best lots, whereas, if I deferred +making my selections, these went into other hands. + + + + +II. REMINISCENCES. + + +Fifty years ago, and for many a long year thereafter, there were no +shorthorns in the north. There were few turnips grown, and few cattle +fed. The great firm of the Williamsons, who rented St John's Wells, +Bethelnie, and Easter Crichie; James Allardyce of Boyndsmill; the +Harveys of Beidlestone and Danestone, and a few others, were almost the +only parties who attempted the feeding of cattle. Mr Harvey of Ardo, +who was then tenant of Danestone, died only the other day, aged ninety. +Messrs Williamson and Reid were the great Aberdeen butchers at that +period, and the feeders had either to sell to them or send their cattle +on to Barnet Fair on their own account, or in the hands of the jobber. +The journey occupied a month, and hay was their food. The cattle stood +the road best upon hay, and it was surprising how fresh and sound the +drovers took them up. Disease was unknown; the lung disease, the +foot-and-mouth disease, are comparatively recent importations. + +I was in the lean-cattle trade when foot-and-mouth disease first broke +out, and got a sad fright when I came up to Falkirk and found my drove +affected. When it got into a drove on their transit, the loss was +heavy. At that time the cattle were not made more than half fat, else +they could never have performed their journeys. + +I was well acquainted with the Messrs Williamson, and, when a boy, was +the guest of the late George Williamson, St John's Wells; of the late +James Williamson, Bethelnie; and of William Williamson, Easter Crichie. +George Williamson was a great wit, and many are the anecdotes I have +heard him tell. One of these I recollect. He was passing through Perth +with a large drove of cattle, the bells were ringing a merry peal for +the peace--St John's Wells said it was a sorrowful peal to him, for it +cost him L4000. He told that the Messrs Williamson and Reid came to buy +a lot of cattle at Bethelnie, and they were not like to agree, when +Bethelnie's grieve volunteered the statement--much to the chagrin of +James Williamson, but to the delight of Messrs Williamson and +Reid--that there were turnips to put over to-morrow and no longer. +Messrs Williamson and Reid did not advance their offer under these +circumstances. + +James Williamson was a smarter man in some respects than George; he had +great taste as a farmer, but lacked the wit of his brother; while +William of Easter Crichie, St John's Wells' eldest son, and a member of +the great firm, took matters more coolly than either, but was a capital +judge, and a good buyer of drove and store cattle. They have all gone +to their rest, but have left a name behind them which will not soon be +forgotten in Aberdeenshire. As a firm they were the largest +cattle-dealers in Scotland of their day. William Williamson was most +hospitable, and many were the happy evenings I have spent at Easter +Crichie. It was a great treat to hear him when he became eloquent upon +the Haycocks, the great Leicestershire graziers, and the bullock he +bought from Mr Harvey and sold to Mr Haycock that gained the prize +against all comers at Smithfield. The Williamsons were the largest +buyers in spring, not only in Aberdeenshire and the north, but in +Forfar and Fife, shires. At one time they had little opposition in the +spring trade, and old St John's Wells' advice to the members of the +firm, when they went to Forfar and Fife, was to "bid little and lie far +back." The Williamsons generally brought down from Fifeshire on their +spring visits a lot of the best Fife cows, and no doubt their blood are +in many of the Aberdeen cattle to this day. The Williamsons also bought +largely at the Falkirk Trysts. Although they had the spring trade +mostly to themselves, it must not be supposed that the summer trade was +equally in their hands. For a time, however, it was doubtful if they +would not concentrate the whole business in their own firm; as when +they had heavy stocks on hand, and prices showed a downward tendency, +they adopted the daring expedient of buying up almost all the cattle +for sale, that they might become the exclusive owners. This might have +succeeded so far, but it was a dangerous expedient, and could not +continue; and other energetic men, both in the north and south, began +to oppose them. My own father became their greatest opponent, and, +though single-handed, for years conducted as large a business in summer +as themselves. + +Mr James Anderson, Pitcarry, who is still alive and tenant of Pitcarry, +was also an extensive dealer, and sent large droves to England--a man +who through life has enjoyed the respect of all classes, of great +coolness, and proverbial for his rectitude. The writer was sleeping +with him at Huntly the night of an Old Keith market; and in the morning +Mr Anderson was in the middle of a deep discussion, when his topsman +knocked at the door. On being asked what he wanted, he said he had lost +four cattle. "Go and find them," was Mr Anderson's answer, and he +immediately resumed the discussion. My father often told how Mr +Anderson and he were at a dinner at Haddington, given by the East +Lothian Farmers' Club, on the day of the cattle market, when Mr Rennie +of Phantassie was chairman, and where, after dinner, a discussion arose +about an Act of Parliament. Mr Anderson told them they were all wrong, +and that the contents of the Act were so and so. The books were brought +from the Council Chambers, when Mr Anderson was found right, and all +the East Lothian gentlemen wrong. He is a very well-informed man, and +has all the Acts of Parliament at his finger-ends. I was present at a +Hallow Fair when a cross toll-bar was erected, and many paid the toll +demanded. At last Mr Anderson came up with his drove, and having the +Act of Parliament in his pocket at the time, he broke down the toll-bar +and sent the keeper home to his honest calling. + +But James Milner, Tillyriach, was perhaps the most remarkable among all +the cattle-dealers of the time. He was a very large tall man, with +tremendously big feet--a great man for dress--wore top-boots, white +neckcloth, long blue coat, with all the et-ceteras, and used +hair-powder. He was, withal, very clever, and had an immensity of +mother-wit. He rode the best horse in the country, kept greyhounds, and +galloped a horse he called the "Rattler." The rides he took with this +animal are the talk of the country to this day. The Rattler was very +fast, and would jump over anything. There was no end to the hares +Milner killed. He was tenant not only of Tillyriach, which was at that +time the property of Sir William Forbes of Craigievar, but he rented +Carnaveron and other farms in the Vale of Alford. His position was +good: he dined with the gentlemen of the neighbourhood. On one occasion +he had Sir William Forbes to dine with him at Tillyriach, and collected +all the horses, cattle, and servants from his other farms, and had them +all coming as if from the yoke when Sir William arrived. Milner wanted +allowances for several improvements from his landlord, and, among the +rest, allowance to build, and payment for, a large dwelling-house; but +he outwitted himself for once, as Sir William was afraid of the man, +and refused to give any allowance whatsoever, remarking that his wealth +in cattle and horses was so enormous that he might build himself in so +that he would never get him out. However, Milner built an additional +large dining-room at his own expense, and it being finished all but the +chimney-top, he got up one summer morning very early, ordered his men +and horses along with a mason to follow him, and went to William Laing, +one of his sub-tenants, of whom he had a host, quietly removed a new +dressed granite chimney-top which Laing had lately erected, without +being detected by the inmates, and had it placed upon his room ere ever +it was missed. There it remained for fifty years, until the houses at +Tillyriach were taken down. Milner was very fond of a lark; he was the +best possible neighbour; but if he took offence or considered himself +slighted or overlooked, he would have his revenge. There was a rather +troublesome neighbour who had offended Mr Milner, and of whom he could +not get the better, except in the following way:--He put a large drove +of cattle among his corn during the night, and was there in the morning +with his appraiser to pay the damage. The damage is never in such cases +estimated at the loss sustained by the owner, and a man may easily be +ruined in that way. Mr Milner was the Captain Barclay of the Vale of +Alford. He must have the best of everything--the best horses, the best +cattle; and at the first cattle-show in the country, at Kincardine +O'Neil, he gained the first prize for the best bull. He had the finest +horses in the country, and it was worth something to get a "lift" of +Milner's horses; and the most grievous fault his servants could commit, +was allowing any other horses in the country to take as heavy loads as +his. + +Tillyfour and Tillyriach adjoin, and are now one farm.[2] My father was +in Tillyfour, and Milner in Tillyriach. The crop was all cut by the +sickle, and wonderful were the prodigies performed by some of the +shearers. When the harvest came near a conclusion, there was generally +a severe "kemp" between neighbours who would have "cliach" first. One +season Milner had fallen much behind his Tillyfour neighbours, and it +became clear that Tillyfour was to gain the victory. Milner ordered +Rattler to be saddled, and he was not long in galloping with such a +horse, and on such an emergency, over the length and breadth of the +Vale of Alford. He collected the whole country, and cut the last +standing sheaf on Tillyriach in one night. The first thing heard at +Tillyfour next morning was one volley of firearms after another, which +was continued through the day, with a relay of shooters, and in the +very teeth of my father's people. It cost Milner a great deal of +Athole-brose[3] and powder, but he did not mind trifles to gain his +point. It was the custom at that time that the party who finished +harvest first communicated the intelligence to his neighbours by the +firing of guns. + + [2] For description of a day at Tillyfour, see Dixon's 'Field and + Fern,' Part North, p. 158-181. + + [3] Whisky and oatmeal mixed. + +Another anecdote or two of Milner, and I have done with him. As he was +dressing at the glass one morning, at an inn in the south, and in the +act of powdering his hair, and tying his white neckerchief, which he +always wore on high days and holidays, James Williamson of Bethelnie +said to him, "Ah! what a pretty man you are, James!" "Yes," said +Milner, with an oath, "if it were not for these ugly skulks of feet of +mine." He always carried large saddlebags on his horse on his journeys, +well replenished with all necessary auxiliaries for a change of dress, +as when he went north he had often to dine with the Highland +proprietors, and Milner was not the man to go otherwise than in full +dress. He took a good deal of liberty with his fellow-cattle-dealers, +who were not so exact as to their wardrobes, and carried generally in +their pocket only a spare shirt and a pair of stockings. Milner's traps +were a great additional burden on his horse. While going north he +thought proper, one morning, to fasten them on my father's horse. My +father took no notice of this at the time; but falling a little behind +before coming to the top of a high hill, he contrived to unloose the +mouths of the bags. The cattle-dealers always dismounted at the top of +a hill, and walked down, either leading or driving their horses before +them to the foot. My father dismounted, put the whip to his horse, a +very spirited animal, and down the hill he galloped. First one article +of clothing, then another, went helter-skelter along the road for a +mile, one here and one there--ruffled shirts, white neckcloths, long +coats, cashmere vests, boot-tops, pomatum boxes, cotton stockings, &c. +&c.--not two of them together. It took Milner a long time to collect +the contents of his bags; he was very sulky during the day, and his own +horse carried the saddlebags in future. On a journey in the north, his +comrades proposed that he should dress himself (and he did so to some +purpose), and call on a gentleman, a large owner of fine stock, but +whose land-steward and the cattle were some forty miles distant from +the manor-house. Mr Milner did so; was well received and hospitably +entertained; and at parting the gentleman gave him a letter to his +land-steward, with instructions as to the sale of his stock. Milner was +very quick, and he had his doubts as to these instructions; and as from +forty to fifty miles was a long journey out and returning, he became +anxious to know the contents. He returned to his friends, and +communicated his suspicions to them. One more daring than the others +proposed that the letter should be opened; a tea-kettle was got, the +water brought to the boil, the wafer put to the steam, and the letter +opened. The contents read thus:--"Be sure and sell the _old cows_, +but do not sell the bullocks upon any account." I need not say what a +rage Milner was in; calling the gentleman out was the least punishment +he might expect. + +On one occasion he was in the south, where he bought cattle as well as +in the north, and had an appointment to purchase a rare lot of cattle. +James Williamson, Bethelnie, was also anxious to secure the same lot. +The two were at the same inn; and after Milner went to bed, his shoes +were turned out of his bedroom to be brushed. Williamson got hold of +them, and had them put into a pot of water and boiled for hours. He +contrived to do away with his stockings in a way I shall not mention. +When Milner rose to continue his journey, he might have got the better +of the loss of his stockings, but his shoes were a hopeless case, and +he was obliged to defer his journey. New shoes had to be made; and as +Milner's feet were so large, lasts had first to be made; and thus it +took several days to get him fitted out for the road. James Williamson, +meanwhile, bought the cattle and had his laugh at Milner, who reaped a +share of the profits. It is now about half a century since Milner died, +at a comparatively early age; but there still remains a lively +impression of his person and exploits among the older residenters of +the Vale of Alford. + +James Allardyce of Boyndsmill, tenant of Cobairdy, was also a great +farmer, but of a different stamp. He was a friend of the late Duke of +Gordon, who introduced him at Court; he also always wore powder. Many +were the stories he told of his journey to London, and the great +personages he was introduced to there. He was the best chairman at a +public meeting I ever saw; and at a public sale it was a perfect treat +to hear him. He was a master of the art of pleasing, and no man could +put a company into equal good-humour. He had something to say in every +one's praise, and no one else could say it so well. He spoke the +dialect of his own county (the kingdom of Forgue) and never affected +the English language. He fed--such feeding as they got!--sixty bullocks +annually, which were always sold to one or other of the dealers, and +went to Barnet Fair. Cobairdy's winterers and their prices were an +interesting topic of conversation every spring, as the season came +round. + +The great English dealers were the Armstrongs, James and Thomas, the +Millers, Murphy, Robert M'Turk, Billie Brown, John Elliot, the +Carmichaels, &c. &c. The Armstrongs were from Yorkshire; they bought +largely of our good beasts at Falkirk, Falkland, and Kinross. Their +credit was unlimited. They paid the cattle, not with Bank of England +notes, but with their own private bills; and whereas they left home +without more money than was necessary to pay the expenses of their +journey, they would return with hundreds of pounds. For example: they +would buy a lot of cattle for L860, give their acceptance for L1000, +and get the balance (L140) from the seller. At last, however, they +became bankrupt, and paid 3s. per pound. My father lost L3300 by them; +and a great many of the returned bills are still in my possession. +Messrs John and William Thom lost about the same sum. The Bannermans of +Perth lost L4000--in fact, were ruined by their loss. My father and the +Thoms stood out. The Thoms lost very heavily by the Millers also. My +father's losses by bad debts were fully L10,000 in all. John Thom of +Uras, Stonehaven, was also one of the firm that lost heavily, and has +always, to his credit, paid 20s. in the pound. It was a saying of an +old friend of mine that no great breeder or great cattle-dealer ever +died rich; and this has held good in the great majority of cases. John +Elliot and William Brown bought largely of our Aberdeen cattle, and +attended Aikey Fair as well as Falkirk. Brown, who was very clever, had +raised himself from being an Irish drover. He rented a farm in the +neighbourhood of Carlisle, and died a few years ago much respected. +Elliot was a Carlisle man, and so were the Millers. Elliot latterly +became a Smithfield salesman, but died many years ago. But Robert +M'Turk stood, in my estimation, at the top of the tree. I have known +him buy seventy score of Highlanders at the October Falkirk Tryst +without dismounting from his pony. I have seen seventy-five score of +Galloways belonging to him in one drove passing through Carlisle to +Norfolk. I have known him buy from a thousand to two thousand of our +large county cattle at Falkirk, sweeping the fair of the best lots +before other buyers could make up their minds to begin. He rented large +grazings in Dumfriesshire, where he wintered and grazed the +Highlanders, and which, I believe, his relatives still retain. He was a +warm friend, and very kind to me when I was almost a boy, and on a busy +day he trusted me to cull the beasts he had bought from myself. I shall +never see his like again at Falkirk or any other place. I have a vivid +recollection of the stout-built man upon his pony, buying his cattle by +the thousand; his calm and composed demeanour was a striking contrast +to the noise made by some jobbers at our fairs in even the buying of an +old cow. Although plain in manner, he was a thorough gentleman, devoid +of slang and equivocation. He was the Captain Barclay of Dumfriesshire, +and furnished an exception to my friend's remark, for he died in +independent circumstances. He paid for all his cattle ready money. + +The Carmichaels were another extensive firm of English dealers; they +bought largely at Falkirk, Aikey Fair, and in the north. Robert +Carmichael, of Ratcliffe Farm, near Stirling, was many years appointed +a judge of Highlanders at the Highland Society's shows. But we had also +the Hawick Club, a set of giants--Halliburton, Scott, and Harper--a +very wealthy firm; and James Scott died the other year worth seventy or +eighty thousand pounds. As a company they seldom bought runts--a term +by which our Aberdeen cattle were known to the English jobbers; they +bought large lots of Highlanders, especially Highland heifers, in +October and November; but they were open at all times, when they saw a +good prospect of profit, to buy any number, or any sort. I once came +through Mr Harper's hands at a bad Hallow Fair with seven score of +Aberdeen runts in a way I should not like often to do. + +The business of the "Club" was principally confined to the months of +October and November, but individually they had large stakes in the +country. James Scott was one of the largest sheep-farmers in Scotland, +and one of the greatest buyers of sheep at Inverness. I could tell many +anecdotes of the firm of Halliburton & Co., but I fear tiring my +readers. I will, however, venture on one or two. As I have already +mentioned, they were very powerful men. On one occasion Halliburton had +arrived at Braemar very tired to attend the fair. He had fallen asleep +on the sofa, and a thief was busy rifling his pockets, when he awoke, +took hold of the thief, held him with one hand as if he had been in a +vice, and handed him over to justice. It was told of James Scott, who +was a very quiet reserved man, that once when he was in the Highlands +he was insulted by a party of Highland gentlemen; from better it came +to worse, and ended in Scott nearly killing every man of them. +Halliburton was much respected, but he was a great declaimer as to +prices of cattle falling when he was a purchaser. At an Amulree market +he was very early on the market-ground. A soft-looking country man, +well dressed, came up with thirteen very fine polled cattle, which +Halliburton bought at a price that _satisfied even him_ as to +their cheapness. He took James Ritchie, an Aberdeen dealer, to see +them. On hearing the price Ritchie was astonished. "Oh," said +Halliburton, "I have often told you, James, what country men would do, +but you would not believe me." The seller was very anxious to get the +money, as he said he had horses to buy; but Halliburton told him horses +were dangerous, and he must wait his time. He began to be suspicious +that all was not right, and in a short time the seller was apprehended +for stealing the cattle from Wemyss Castle. He was tried at Perth, and +transported for fourteen years, and Halliburton and Ritchie had to give +evidence. The judge said to Halliburton at the trial at Perth, "You +surely must have known the cattle were too cheap." Halliburton +answered, "My lord, the next market would have proved if they were too +cheap or too dear." + +The payments at Falkirk were all made through the bankers; there were +always from four to six bank-tents on the muir. When I took payment for +my cattle I went generally with the buyer to the bank-tent. This was +merely a common tent, with a bank-office attached. The banker +calculated the amount, and received the money, which he put to my +credit, and after I concluded my business I got an order for the amount +on Aberdeen. This avoided all risk of forged notes, &c. Strange +payments were sometimes offered. On one occasion an Irishman, who +appeared to have been "holding his Christmas," bought sixty horned +cattle from me, the best in the fair, at L14, 14s. a-head--a long price +at that time. The beasts were good, and the price was good. He +presented first L70 in gold; he then took out a handkerchief, the +contents of which were L100, L20, L10, L5, and L1 notes. Such a +miscellaneous payment I had never seen offered, and I believe no one +else had, at Falkirk or any other place. It would have been hopeless +for us to attempt counting it, and Mr Salmon, agent for the Commercial +Bank, took the business in hand. Looking first at the confused mass of +notes, all "head and tail," and then scanning the appearance of my +customer, he began his task; but with all his practice it took him a +quarter of an hour to assort the payment. He threw back two L1-notes to +the buyer, who got into a towering passion, and, with words that I +cannot put upon paper, asked him if he thought _he_ would offer +forged notes. Mr Salmon meekly replied that M'Combie might take them if +he pleased, he had got nothing to do with that, but he would not. Our +Irish friend then exchanged the notes, for he had no want of money. I +did not even know the gentleman's name; I never saw him before, and I +never, to my knowledge, saw him afterwards. + +There were in such large markets as Falkirk and Hallow Fair great +chances of good prices to be had at times. When cattle were selling +dear, buyers from England, Wales, Ireland, and all parts of Scotland, +congregated at Falkirk: they were not all judges alike, and some +sellers at such a time were always sure of a good price. For the +amusement of my readers, I will give a few examples. On the second day +of an October Falkirk Tryst (I had sold out, as I generally did, the +first day), I was standing with a dealer from the north who had forty +or sixty--I think sixty--two-year-old polled stots to sell. He had just +parted with a customer for 2s. 6d. a-head, having offered them at L8, +15s., and refused L8, 12s. 6d. A gentleman's land-steward came through +the lot of cattle with a milk-white horse, and his eyes looked first to +the right and then to the left with wonderful quickness. He asked the +price of the cattle. I thought the seller's conscience a trifle lax +when he asked L13, 13s. a-head. Being very young I turned my back, as I +could not keep my gravity. The owner then asked what he would give. +L11, 11s. was the answer. No sooner were the words out of the man's +mouth than down came the clap, "They are yours." I could stand it no +longer, and drew back aghast. The buyer became suspicious that all was +not right; and my father, who was held in great esteem both by buyers +and sellers, acted as umpire, to whom both parties referred the +transaction. Being the only witness, I was closely interrogated by the +umpire, the buyer, and the seller. I told the price asked and the price +offered. The matter had now assumed a serious aspect. My father, after +hearing the evidence, which was not denied, and the price having been +fairly offered and accepted, could only decide one way. I recollect his +words when he gave his decision: "Well, sir, the beasts are dear +according to this market, but they are good growers, and you will soon +make them worth it; my decision is, you must take them." They were paid +for, and went across the ferry to Fife again. In a rising market I have +seen cattle raised L1 a-head; and if the jobber does not take a price +when there is a rise, and fairly in his power, he is a fool, for he +will soon find out that the buyers will have no mercy upon the sellers +when in their power. In all my experience, the above, in a dull day, or +any other day, was the most glaring start I remember. + +I never attended the fairs in Angusshire, but on one occasion Mr Thom +hauled me off to Forfar market in the beginning of November, before +Hallow Fair of Edinburgh. We were in partnership at the time, and +bought seventy small polled stots to take to Hallow Fair, to which we +had sent off two or three droves the week before. We could get but one +drover, a townsman, to assist in lifting them, and had to turn drovers +ourselves. We had not gone above a mile on our way to Dundee with the +cattle when it came on a fearful night of rain, and got very dark. Mr +Thom quarrelled with the drover--a useless creature--and sent him about +his business, so that we were left alone with our seventy beasts in the +dark, on a road with which we were entirely unacquainted. We went on +for hours, not knowing where we were going, till at last we came to a +bothy, where we asked the servants what we were to do with our charge, +and if we were on the road to the ferry at Dundee. We were told, first, +that we had taken the wrong road, and were miles out of our way; and +second, that we might put the cattle into a field close at hand. We put +the cattle up accordingly, and went to a public-house near by, which +was kept by a very decent man, Edward, a cattle-dealer. We got supper, +and took an hour or two in bed; and between one and two o'clock in the +morning, the rain having abated and the moon risen, we started the +drove and had the beasts at Dundee and across the ferry by the first +boat at eight o'clock in the morning, with no assistance whatever. We +now started fairly on our destination for Edinburgh, and having got +food for the cattle and bread and cheese for ourselves, about three +miles up the south side of the Tay we hired a sort of drover, and bent +our way by Rathillet. About dark we arrived at ---- (Mr Walker's), +where we not only got as much turnips and straw to our beasts as they +could eat, but were ourselves treated like princes by Mr Walker. He +gave us the best bed in the house, would not let us go without a good +breakfast in the morning, and would accept of scarcely any +remuneration. We started for Lochgelly after breakfast, but Mr Thom +persuaded me to turn off and take Falkland market, which was held that +day, while he and the drover proceeded straight to Lochgelly with the +cattle. Falkland was far out of the way, but he assured me there were +plenty of horses to hire there, and that I could easily join him at +Lochgelly at night. When I got to Falkland I found there were only four +beasts in the market that suited our trade, which was not encouraging, +as I did not want plenty of money if I could have got anything to lay +it out on. I found also that Mr Thom had been mistaken about the +hiring. Not a horse was to be got at any price, and I had no help but +to set off on foot for Lochgelly, on a road I had never travelled. I +had scarcely left Falkland when I was overtaken by a heavy rain which +continued throughout my journey. I had first to climb a long steep hill +for about three or four miles, and when at last I got to the public +road, I found it one mass of mud, in consequence of the large coal +traffic, and the heavy fall of rain. I had a deal of money with me, and +as it was quite dark, I was rather uneasy about it, meeting so many +miners and coal-carters under such circumstances, and in a part of the +country with which I was utterly unacquainted. The road is a very long +one, and with such a protracted soaking in the mud, my feet began to +fail me. I at last reached my destination, however; and with +considerable difficulty--for I had never been in Lochgelly before--I +hunted up Mr Thom, whom I found comfortably quartered beside a good +fire, with supper before him. But my troubles were not yet over. One of +the servants at the place was leaving, and what was termed a "foy" was +being held that night. She had collected a great number of her friends, +who kept the house in an uproar the whole night. We went to bed, but +could get no sleep, the row these revellers made was so great, and our +bedroom door was all but broken open two or three times. Our +remonstrances had no effect, and sleep being out of the question, we +got up about one o'clock, hunted up our drover, and started our drove +once more, although the night was as bad as could be. By about nine +o'clock A.M. we arrived at Queensferry; but by this time I had strained +my leg, and was unable to proceed. I was therefore left on the north +side in charge of the cattle, while Mr Thom crossed to the south side +to procure the necessary food for the other droves during the market. +It will thus be seen that we droved the seventy cattle from Forfar +market all the way to Queensferry in two days and three nights during +the short day of November, going out of our way once as much as six +miles. I cannot say what the distance was exactly, but it must have +been at least seventy miles--a feat in cattle-droving unparalleled in +my experience. After a day's rest I crossed the ferry with the cattle, +assisted by the drover. The beasts were dreadfully jaded, and with +difficulty reached their destination, within a mile of the +market-stance. The journey had told severely upon them, and two went +down immediately on reaching the field. We tried every means to stir +them, but failed. They were hand-fed, and with great difficulty got to +the market, where they were quickly sold, though how they were got to +their destination I never learned. + +At a very good Hallow Fair, I had forty small-horned Cabrach beasts and +forty small polled stirks standing alongside of each other. I had been +within 7s. 6d. a-head of selling them once or twice, when a stranger +priced them, a very well-to-do and apparently young man. My price was +L7, 7s. a-head for the eighty. He just took one look through them, and +said, "Well, I shall have them, and you meet me at the Black Bull at +eight o'clock, and I will pay you for them." It not being the _custom +of the trade_ to get all our askings, I was a little nervous about +my customer, but found he was all right. I met him at the Black Bull at +the hour mentioned. He was in great spirits, and paid me in Bank of +England notes. + +Arthur Ritchie, Bithnie, a cattle-dealer from Aberdeen, used to tell +the following story: In a bad Hallow Fair, towards sunsetting, a +gentleman came round and asked the price of a lot of cattle. Arthur had +given him a large halter, and he got an offer which he accepted. It was +a great price for the market. The buyer refused afterwards to take +them, and my father was made umpire. The buyer said that a glimmer came +over his eyes, and he thought them better when he offered the price. +However, he got ashamed, and took the cattle. An old respected servant +of my own, who assisted me for years in the buying and selling of +cattle--James Elmslie, very well known here and in the south--had sold +twenty beasts very well at Hallow Fair for me. There was a "buffalo" +among them of the worst type--a great big "buffalo dog." The buyer, +when he paid them, said, "Well, James, if they had all been like the +big one, I would not have grudged you the price." "Ah, sir," said +James, "you would have difficulty in getting a lot like him!" I could +scarcely keep my gravity. A very grave and solemn conclusion to a sale +occurred to me at Hallow Fair. I had sold twenty beasts to a very rich +farmer near North Berwick, who had bought many lots from me. He had +employed a marker, who had just marked nineteen out of the twenty. The +buyer was joking with me about the dearness of the cattle, when, in a +moment, he dropped down dead, falling on his back, and never moving or +speaking more. The event created such a sensation, that no more sales +were made that day. + +The English dealers seldom came north except to Aikey Fair. Then we had +the Armstrongs, the Millers, Murphy, and other English dealers, and it +was quite a sight to witness the droves going south; but Aikey Fair has +now lost its ancient glory, and is only the shadow of what it was. It +was a sight I shall never witness more to see the whole hillside +covered with innumerable herds of "Buchan hummlies." Mr Bruce of +Millhill showed the largest lots, and stood at the top as an exhibitor. +Talking of Buchan, the names of Bruce, Millhill, and Smart, Sandhole, +were household words at my father's board. My father and myself have +bought thousands of cattle from them; no agriculturists have ever been +more respected in Buchan. Mr Bruce, perhaps, was as solid, but Smart +was the more dashing man. I have never met any one who would do the +same amount of business with as few words as Smart, and do it as well. +As one example: He brought sixty beasts to Mintlaw market--cattle were +low-priced at the time. I had the first offer of them: he asked L12, +12s. a-head. I offered L12, and we split the 12s. The whole transaction +did not take up half of the time I require to write it. Mr Bruce and Mr +Smart were the best judges in Buchan. We had other great exhibitors, Mr +Bruce, Inverwhomrey; Mr Scott, Yokieshill; Mr Milne, Mill of Boyndie; +Mr Paton, Towie; Mr Milne, Watermill, &c. Mr Mitchell, Fiddesbeg, the +Browns, the Rattrays, Hay of Little Ythsie, and Wm. M'Donald, were all +extensive dealers in cattle in those days. The following anecdote of +William M'Donald was told by my father: It had been a very good +September Falkirk market, and Mr John Geddes, Haddoch, who was an +extensive home grazier and dealer, had a large stock of cattle on hand. +M'Donald and my father were both anxious for the chance to buy them, +and pushed through their business at Falkirk as fast as possible to get +to Haddoch. At that time the dealers accomplished all their journeys on +horseback, and prided themselves on the fleetness of their +saddle-horses. My father thought no one his match in the saddle. He +reached Haddoch on Wednesday at midnight--the first cattle-market day +at Falkirk being on Tuesday--but the first thing he observed on drawing +near to the house, which remains on the farm to this day, although a +new one has been built, was the main room lighted up. On coming nearer, +he heard voices fast and loud, and one was that of M'Donald! It was all +over! M'Donald had fairly beat M'Combie in the chase. My father got +hold of Mrs Geddes, worn-out and disappointed, and got quietly to bed; +and I have often heard him tell how M'Donald's peals of laughter rang +in his ears as the punch-bowl went round, even to the dawning of the +day. Neither M'Donald nor Haddoch knew my father was in the house. He +left in the morning for Clashbrae, where he bought some smaller lots +from the farmer there, who was a local dealer. + +A word as to M'Donald: He was a stout-made middle-sized man, and spoke +so fast over the "bowl" that no one could follow him. He had a good +deal of mother-wit; and his great ambition was to be the owner of large +droves of cattle. I have seen a drove belonging to him a mile and more +long. Mr John Geddes was a man of high standing and great firmness of +character. He wore the broad blue bonnet, with a long blue coat and +clear buttons, and boot-hose, and rode a very fine cob pony with a long +tail. He was of great strength of constitution, and could have sat +twenty-four hours with the punch-bowl before him (it was always the +bowl at Haddoch), and risen as sober as when he sat down. Such were the +habits of those days. I never pass on the railway from Huntly to +Rothiemay, but on casting my eye over the old house I recall the night +described so graphically by my father. He and Haddoch had large +transactions. After a bad October Tryst, where my father had sixteen +score of Aberdeenshire cattle, and when he lost L4 a-head upon every +beast, Mr Geddes returned him L70 as a luck-penny upon a large lot he +had bought from him. There have few men appeared in the north of +greater influence or of higher moral worth than the late Mr John Geddes +of Haddoch. His landlord, the late Duke of Gordon, was proud of him, as +well he might be. + +It was the general custom that the dealers came to the market-ground +with their cattle, and immediately before them, to the part of the +market-stance where they wished them to stand. It was quite a sight to +see Mr Geddes on an Old Keith market-day (Old Keith Market, like Aikey +Fair, is now only a shadow of its ancient greatness), with his broad +bonnet, the long blue coat, the overall stockings, and mounted on a +strong bay pony with its tail to the ground, at the head of a large lot +of heavy cattle. Every one made room for his cattle, as he rode before +them to the upper wall; it would have been of no use to resist, as the +weight of his animals would have soon cleared the road for themselves; +and as soon as the large black mass of horned cattle appeared in the +valley below, the cry was, "There comes Haddoch! We must clear the way, +or else his cattle will soon clear it at our expense." After the first +lot was stationed, another and another followed in succession, which +were placed beside the others, till perhaps there were 200 altogether; +the different lots being all kept completely separate for the +inspection of purchasers. Mr Geddes never went south with cattle, but +sold them all at home. In a bad year he once got as far south as +Tillyfour with 120 cattle in November. They were at Tillyfour a night, +and my father bought them in the morning, but they were about a mile on +the road before the bargain was struck. No one could have seen Mr +Geddes without pronouncing him a man of mark. + +But the greatest dealer the county could claim, and one at the same +time deeply engaged in agriculture and its interests, was Mr James +Innes of Durris. Mr Innes was born at Leuchars in Morayshire; his +father was Sheriff of Kincardineshire, and proprietor of Leuchars; his +brother, Cosmo Innes, Esq., was Sheriff of Morayshire. The father of Mr +James Innes bought the lease of the estate of Durris for ninety-nine +years from the trustees of the Earl of Peterborough for L30,000 and an +annual feu-duty of a few hundred pounds. Owing to some new views of the +law of entail, the Duke of Gordon, the legal heir of the Earl of +Peterborough, turned Mr Innes out of the estate after he had expended +L95,000 in improvements, and after the case had been in court for +fifteen years. Mr Innes farmed extensively, having had seven or eight +farms in his own occupancy at the same time. He rode on horseback +yearly to Falkirk, and bought a large lot of Highland cattle. He +generally had 200 cattle, 1500 sheep, and from ten to twelve pairs of +horses on his farms. Mr Innes's horses went at the top of their speed +in cart and plough; they had all breeding. No standing was allowed when +the horses were in harness. In a busy day in harvest, and when the +horses were yoked double, you would have seen Mr Innes's horses driving +in the corn at a smart gallop. The harvest-carts were wide, railed and +framed on both sides, with one or two cross bearers. In a "leading" day +Mr Innes was a sure hand at the fork in the stackyard, and the man on +the stack and the man on the cart had to look out. Mr Innes was no +trifler, and would not be trifled with; but if an accident happened he +made no remarks. He did not transact business by commission, but +purchased both the cattle and sheep himself. The aged West Highlanders +were sent to the wood during winter; the year-old Highlanders were put +into the strawyards; and the four-year-old Aberdeens were bought for +stall-feeding. Black-faced wethers were sent to the low pasture and for +turnip-feeding. An annual sale of cattle and letting of grass took +place about the 20th May. Mr Innes was famed for growing turnips. He +gained the prize of L50, given by the Highland Society for the best +field of turnips in the north of Scotland, twenty acres of yellow and +ten of globe turnips. Deacon Williamson's six and eight year old +Aberdeen work oxen--these were not the days of quick returns in +cattle--consumed them, and they went to the Greenland whale-ships at +last. Mr Innes was the poor man's friend, and a kind master to his +servants, but a cool determined man. Although standing almost six feet +three inches in height, he was a splendid horseman; when crossing the +Dee he made his horse jump into the boat with himself upon his back. He +galloped as the crow flies from one farm to another, and was at the +head of everything himself. He was an intimate friend of the late Lord +Kennedy, Captain Barclay of Ury, Farquharson of Finzean, Davidson of +Balnagask, and Cruickshank of Langley Park. He sometimes took a holiday +with them; and even entered for a time into some of their frolics, when +his seedtime and harvest were finished: he was quite fit to keep his +own with them. He was well educated, wrote out his leases, collected +his rents, could floor any one in court, and was very popular as a +justice. + +Mr Cruickshank of Langley Park and Mr Innes afterwards quarrelled: the +quarrel originating at Blackhall. There had been a good deal of +chaffing between them, which ended in a row. Cruickshank went home and +wrote a challenge to Innes, and Innes went home and wrote one to +Cruickshank. They met and fought at Laurencekirk: Major C. Robertson, +Kindface, Invergordon, was Cruickshank's second, and Dr Hoyle, +Montrose, was in attendance as surgeon. ---- ---- was Innes's second, +and Dr Skene, Aberdeen, his surgeon. After the first fire the seconds +stopped proceedings; but Mr Innes's mother had intercepted a letter, +which she gave to her son after the first duel, and Mr Innes forthwith +sent another challenge to Cruickshank. They fought again at +Bourtreebush, half-way between Aberdeen and Stonehaven. Mr John +Stewart, late in Anguston (who was a great friend of the laird of +Durris) was standing with Mr Innes at the Plainstones, in Aberdeen. Mr +Innes looked at the town clock, and said, "My time is up; but you will +meet me at breakfast to-morrow at Durris at eight." He did not say what +he was to be about. Mr William Walker, who was afterwards three years +overseer to Mr Innes at Durris, tells that he thinks it was in June or +July 1819 that his father's servant and himself were carting home fuel +from near Bourtreebush, when they observed two carriages on the +turnpike from Aberdeen driving at a furious pace. The carriages stopped +in an instant within 300 yards of the inn; several gentlemen alighted +and walked into the nearest field, and in a few minutes shots were +twice exchanged, one party and carriage leaving twenty minutes before +the other, in the direction of Stonehaven. At the second shot Mr Innes +was wounded in the thigh; and it was a close shave on the other side, +for Mr Innes's ball went through Mr Cruickshank's whiskers. Mr Innes, +however, kept his appointment with Mr Stewart next morning. Mr Stewart +said that he met him at Durris House at breakfast. He came down stairs +with his wonted agility, in the best of spirits, and shook hands with +him; but he seemed to tremble a little, and his hands fell downwards, +and although he never mentioned the duel, Mr Stewart afterwards heard +he was wounded in the groin. For the above account of the second famous +duel fought between Mr Innes and Mr Cruickshank of Langley Park, I am +indebted to Mr William Walker and Mr John Stewart, late of Anguston. +The two were, however, great friends ever after. + +I was well acquainted with Alexander Davidson, the notorious poacher +and smuggler. He was a very powerful man, and his whole body was +covered with hair like that of an ox. He was a favourite with many of +the gentlemen, and was often sent for by them to show his feats of +strength and agility. He could shoot in a direct line from Braemar to +Aberdeen with very little interruption. From many of the proprietors he +had permission to take a run through their property; others winked at +him: from myself, then acting for my father, he had permission to go on +his course. He was very polite in his askings, and put it thus: "Will +you have the goodness to allow me to go through your property when I am +on my annual tour? I will not poach it; I will keep the straight line, +and only kill what may be on my way." I believe Davidson was true to +his promise; but if he was refused permission, and if any attempt was +made to entrap him, he had his revenge: he would shoot and poach on +that property for days, and no one could take him. In the year 1820 Mr +Innes and Mr Davidson of Balnagask gave their support to Davidson +against Lord Kennedy and Mr Farquharson of Finzean, who laid a bet of +L50 that Davidson would not run without clothing from Barkley Street, +Stonehaven, to the gate of Inchmarlo in a given time. It was thought +that Davidson's feet must fail him. At the Bridge of Banchory there was +a posse of wives, with Mrs Duncan the toll-mistress at their head, +ready to make an onslaught on poor Davidson. They had been hired, some +at five shillings, some at ten, and the leader, Mrs Duncan, at twenty +shillings, and came prepared with their aprons full of stones and other +missiles, and Mrs Duncan had in addition a large knotty stick. When +Davidson came in sight he saw the trap that was laid for him, and drew +up for breath before he came within the enemy's reach. The fearful rush +and the unearthly appearance of Davidson took his enemies by surprise; +their missiles fell wide of the mark, and with a few tremendous bounds +he passed the wives and the bridge. Mrs Duncan was in a towering +passion because Davidson had escaped, after all her generalship, and +declared, not in the most becoming language, "that it was not a man, +but a beast." Davidson was safe, and reached the gate of Inchmarlo up +to time, and pocketed the L50. Davidson was at last found dead on the +hills, with his faithful pointer standing over him. + +Captain Barclay of Ury and Mr Innes laid a heavy bet with Finzean that +they would produce six better men in Durris than Finzean could do in +all his estates. The men were selected, and the day was fixed; a long +and strong rope was procured, which crossed the Dee, and twelve yards +to each side extra, to allow the men to be tied in at regular distances +from each other. At the place chosen to decide the wager the river had +sloping banks on each side. Those who got the first start were sure to +pull the others probably nearly through the river; the tide would then +be turned, and the other party be as successful with their opponents. +So matters went on several times, until it was found necessary to stop, +and no decision could be given. The poor men got a proper ducking, and +some of them were even in great danger of being drowned or hanged, as +they were all tied into the ropes. + +I was very well acquainted with the late Captain Barclay, who was the +lineal descendant of the author of the 'Apology for the Quakers,' and +claimant of the earldom of Monteith, and was familiarly designated "the +father of the shorthorns." Though Captain Barclay remains without a +national acknowledgment of his merits, no man deserved better of the +farmers of Scotland; for he was their firm supporter through life in +good and bad report. Captain Barclay was in many respects a remarkable +man--one not to be forgotten by any one who had once met him. I have +been many a day in company with him, and have the most vivid +recollection of him as he examined the stock in a show-yard. Pacing +along from class to class, I think I see him drawing his open hand +leisurely down over his chin, and, as he met an acquaintance, saying in +his deep sonorous voice, "How do you do?" laying the emphasis on the +"how," and passing on. No one would have made any mistake as to Captain +Barclay being a gentleman, although his dress was plain--a long green +coat with velvet collar and big yellow buttons, a coloured +handkerchief, long yellow cashmere vest, knee-breeches, very wide +top-boots with long brown dirty tops, and plain black hat, generally +pretty well worn. When at home he wore knee-breeches with patches on +the knees, coarse stockings, and large shoes. Captain Barclay carried +through with energy whatever he took in hand. The "Defiance" must go +its twelve miles an hour including stoppages. He took a great delight +in driving the "Defiance," wearing the red coat with the "Defiance" +buttons; and on one occasion he drove the mail from London to +Stonehaven out and out. His horses were the strongest and his fields +the largest in the country. He said "he did not like a field in which +the cattle could see one another every day." He put four horses in his +waggons, and never sent less than 20 bolls (16 quarters) of grain to +Aberdeen upon a waggon. It was a great sight to see four or five of +Captain Barclay's waggons going down Marischal Street. The houses +shook, the inhabitants were alarmed, and nervous people thought the +houses would tumble down. Captain Barclay could not tolerate a boaster +or puppy in any shape. A few years before his death he happened to be +in the coffee-room, Market Street, Aberdeen, one evening along with +some of his friends. A fast young man took out L20 and boasted he would +run a mile in a certain time: he was not aware that Captain B. was +present. The Captain covered the money, and the L40 was lodged with the +stakeholder. "Now, my man," said the Captain (turning the quid of +tobacco once or twice in his mouth, and taking his hand down from his +nose to his chin), in his prolonged solemn tone, "we will put you to +time." The race was run and lost. The Captain was walking one day in +his park when he came on an intruder in the shape of an ass. He seized +the donkey and threw it over the wall of the park. To his astonishment +the animal was returned. The Captain pitched him over again, and again +he came back. This was repeated several times, till at last the Captain +went outside the wall and found that it was a gypsy that was his match. +He was so much pleased with the prowess of the man, that he took him to +the mansion-house of Ury, treated him to all he could eat and drink, +and gave him permission to graze his donkey as often as he liked on the +policies of Ury. One morning, when the Captain was driving the +"Defiance," there was a plain country woman sitting behind him. A +gentleman wished to deprive the woman of her seat. The Captain +remonstrated with him and bade him let the poor woman alone. The +stranger did not know that it was Captain Barclay, and went on from +better to worse, till he told the Captain if he would stop the coach +and come down he would settle the matter with him. The Captain +immediately stopped the coach, saying, "I suppose I must gratify you," +gave the reins to Davie Troup, and jumped down with his top-coat on. +The stranger advised him to strip. "Oh no," said the Captain, "that +would be troublesome." His opponent, a very strong man, rushed at him +like a bull-dog. The Captain put on his guard, looked at his antagonist +for a moment or two, turned the quid of tobacco once or twice in his +mouth, and then gave him a blow that felled him to the ground like a +log of wood. He got to his feet again, when the Captain doubled the +dose. The stranger was satisfied, and said, "You must either be the +devil or Captain Barclay of Ury." "I am not the former," said the +Captain, "but I am the latter." A stranger would hardly at first sight +have got an adequate impression of Captain Barclay's power, but his +appearance grew upon you when you came close to him; you then saw his +great strength. He was a very round-made man, shaped for great +endurance, which was put to a severe test when, in 1809, he walked a +thousand miles in a thousand hours. His man Cross, who attended him, +described to me the difficulty of his task in keeping him awake. At +first he had to apply the stick and the lash, and the Captain growled +most hideously at him; but latterly, when he saw he was to win, he +improved in strength and spirits every hour till the end. After two +days' rest he went on the Walcheren expedition. When past sixty he +would walk twenty or thirty miles to dinner. I could relate many +interesting reminiscences of Captain Barclay, but as most of them have +been published already, I have only given a few well-authenticated +anecdotes, which, so far as I know, have never before appeared. He was +found dead in his bed in 1854: and in him the tenant-farmers of +Scotland and the poor of his own neighbourhood lost one of their best +friends. + +While speaking of Milner I referred to the great feats performed in +those days with the sickle. I remember a Highland woman, "black Bell," +who made sixteen to eighteen threaves (384 to 432 sheaves) daily in +harvest of good-sized sheaves; but George Bruce, Ardgows, in the parish +of Tough, could shear thirty-six threaves in a day, and bind and stook +it. However incredible this may appear, it is a fact. I have seen him +shearing after he was an old man; he drove the "rig" of say eighteen +feet from side to side, and never lifted his hand till he had a sheaf. +He used a long sickle, and drew the corn to him. I cannot describe his +method properly. He was a tall, thin, wiry man, with very long arms. My +father used to tell how my grandfather sent two men and two women to +give George Bruce a day's shearing, and how George came with a little +girl (who did little or nothing but make bands for her master), and how +my grandfather asked him "if that was the way he intended to pay his +debt." George replied that "he could put his four shearers on one +'rig'"--they were fully an average of the shearers in the country--"and +he and the lassie would take the other." They started accordingly, and +Bruce kept ahead of them throughout the day. + + + + +III. THE CATTLE TRADE, THEN AND NOW. + + +The lean-cattle trade is a most dangerous one, and I would not advise +any young friend of mine to engage in it. I believe for one who has +succeeded twenty have gone down. This is true, at least, as far as +droving from the north to the south of Scotland and England is +concerned. Home jobbers have been more fortunate, though I am not +acquainted with many who have done much good. There are many +temptations connected with it, and it requires a strong mind to resist +them. I have only given the bright side of the picture; but let us look +for a moment at the other. I have told that great chances are got by +some at times; these, however, are exceptional to the general rule. +Lean cattle are sold by value as well as fat, and if well bought will +be easily sold. I found it the safe plan to buy a small drove well. It +was only a little trade that I carried on--I never had fewer than from +seven to ten score, and my largest droves never exceeded eighteen +score; as a consequence, my losses were not heavy nor my profits very +great. When I was in the trade the price of cattle was very low, which +lessened my risk, but I have known L2 a-head lost over a large drove. +During the French war the price of cattle became very high; and L4 +a-head, and even much more, would sometimes be lost or gained on +droving cattle. + +My father when a young man went to the far north--to Caithness, +Sutherland, Skye, and the islands--and bought large droves of Highland +cattle and brought them home. They were disposed of often by public +roup in this county, or driven to the southern markets. At that time +there were few regular markets in these counties, but the dealers when +they went to the country cried a market, announcing that they would +meet the sellers on a certain day and at a convenient place, and in +this way the trade was carried out. Large profits were obtained; but +the dealers were liable to heavy losses, especially in spring, the +cattle being then but skin and bone, and many dying in the transit. My +father lost in one night, after swimming the Spey, seventeen old +Caithness runts. There were no bridges in those days. It came on a +severe frost after the cattle had swam the river. The value of +bone-manure was unknown, and their bones bleached in the sun on the +braes of Auchindown for more than thirty years, and remains of them +were visible within the last few years. My father not only carried on a +very large trade to the Falkirk markets, but also a very extensive +business to England, and had a salesman who attended all the great +English fairs, particularly in Leicestershire, who sold drove after +drove that were bought by my father here. Referring to documents in my +possession, I find he had in one year 1500 head of cattle at the +October Tryst of Falkirk, 800 of which were Highlanders, and the +remainder Aberdeen cattle. The Highlanders were grazed in Braemar, on +the Geldie, Boynach, and Corryvrone, the property of the Earl of Fife. +His books show a clear profit at that fair of L2000, and the year +following of L1500. Prices of cattle were very high during the war. I +observe the prices of three heavy lots of horned Aberdeen cattle sold +in Cumberland--viz., L22, L23, 10s., and L25 a-head. A Carlisle +carrier, I have often heard my father say, was the purchaser. He +declared he bought them for eating up his horse-litter. + +Steam navigation and the use of bone-dust being both introduced about +the same time, shortly produced a complete revolution in the cattle +trade; feeding soon became general, from the larger breadth and heavier +crops of turnips grown; droving annually diminished, till now it has +all but ceased, almost all the herds in Aberdeenshire being fattened, +besides many brought in from north and south. + +The late Mr Hay, Shethin; Mr Lumsden, Aquhorthies; and his brother, Mr +Lumsden, Eggie; Mr Milne, Fornet; Mr Mitchell, Fiddesbeg; Mr Stoddart, +Cultercullen; Deacon Milne, and Deacon Spark, took the lead; and to +these gentlemen the credit is due for being the first to introduce a +proper and profitable system of feeding cattle in Aberdeenshire. More +attention was also paid to the breeding department. James Anderson, +Pitcarry, was the first man who shipped a beast from Aberdeen to +London; his venture was two Angus polled oxen. The late Mr Hay, +Shethin, was the first who sent cattle by rail from Aberdeen; his +venture was a truck of Highlanders. + +The shipping of cattle gradually and rapidly increased, and soon became +a great trade from our ports, many sailing-vessels, as well as +steamers, being brought into requisition. Lean cattle were sent by sea +instead of road. We had at that time no railway, and the expense was +heavy. On a fat bullock it was from L2, 10s. a-head to L3 by steamer; +by the sailing-vessels, however, it was only about L1, 10s. a-head. +Sometimes they made quick passages, but this was uncertain; and I have +known them a month at sea. I have seen the same cargo of cattle driven +back to Aberdeen two or three times. I have been in the hold of the +vessel when they were driven back, and shall never forget the scene +when the buckets and water were brought forward; you would have thought +the ship would have rent asunder by the struggles of the cattle to get +at the water. I have sent cargoes of lean cattle by sailing-vessels to +Barnett, Woolpit, &c. I have had them driven back after being days at +sea. It was while inspecting one of these cargoes that I witnessed the +scene of watering I have described. I lost money by that branch of my +business, and I gave it up. Although the loss by deterioration of +condition must have been great, it was astonishing how few deaths +occurred in the sailing-vessels; the proportion was greater in the +steamers. A year seldom passed without the shippers having heavy +losses. I was owner of part of the cattle when every beast on board the +Duke of Wellington, except three (one belonging to me, and he had to be +carted from the boat, and two belonging to Mr Farquharson of Asloun), +was either thrown overboard or smothered in the hold. The sailors told +that a blackhorned Bogieside ox, belonging to Mr Hay, swam for several +miles after the ship. I have made inquiry of the cattle-man as to the +scene in the hold of a steamer in a storm amongst the cattle. He said, +"I went once down to the hold amongst them, but I was glad to get back +with my life; and although you had given me the ship and all upon her, +I would not have gone back." He declared that, though you had set a +hundred men with heavy flails in operation at one time beating upon the +side of the ship, it would not have been worse than the legs of the +cattle beating upon each other and all within their reach. + +The owners of the Aberdeen steamers have always been anxious to +accommodate their customers; and about twelve years ago they raised an +insurance fund for the protection of the shippers. They laid past one +shilling for every beast they shipped to meet deaths and accidents, and +they have most honourably paid the losses incurred by the shippers of +cattle. It is a good arrangement for both parties; it gives confidence +to the shippers, and no doubt has a tendency to make the owners more +careful in not sending their ships to sea if danger is apprehended. The +cattle go well by sea when the weather is moderate, but in rough +weather they are safer by rail. The above description will give some +idea of the hardships the poor beasts endure in the hold when overtaken +by a storm. I have seen my own cattle, after they were taken from the +hold of the steamboat at London, so changed in appearance that I could +not identify them, and could not tell whether they were black or grey. +I should most seriously advise the Railway Company to adopt some method +of insurance, to avoid the unseemly squabbles that are daily occurring +with the senders of live cattle and dead meat. It is not my province to +make any remarks on the late rise of the freight on cattle by the +Steamboat Company and the Railway. The matter is in their own hands; +but I think conciliation, owing to the present state of feeling, might +have been their wisest policy; however, we will allow them to be the +best judges. It will now be our study, for our own protection, to exert +our influence in the proper quarter to have our grievances removed. The +method of transit is an important subject to the owners of the cattle, +to the landowners, and to the consumers. I have no doubt whatsoever +that a legislative enactment will make all right by-and-by. I cannot +leave this subject without noticing Scott, the cattle-traffic manager +of the Caledonian Company at Aberdeen, and John Henry, the +cattle-traffic manager of the Aberdeen and London Steam Navigation +Company--men who deserve to wear a better coat, and who have done +everything in their power for the interest of the senders of cattle. I +believe there is difficulty in avoiding causes of complaint at all +times where there are so many servants, and the senders of cattle are +sometimes themselves to blame. I have never myself lost a beast by +rail; I prepare my cattle for their journey before they start from +home. My heavy cattle are turned out three different times at least +before they are sent to rail. I walk them in a lea field: the first day +they are put out four hours; I then give them a day to rest; turn them +out again on the second day and increase the distance, and they come +quite fresh out of the trucks at London. What can an owner of cattle +expect but that some will go down if he take his cattle six, eight, or +ten miles without their ever having left the stall for five or eight +months before, and put them on to rail? Many hundreds of good oxen have +been lost in this way, or crushed and bruised. Cattle when tied up are +kept in an unnatural state; they often take founder when at the stall +as a consequence, and sometimes paralysis; but such moderate exercise +as I have described tends to bring them back to their natural state. I +have often been asked the question by those who had seen my Christmas +market cattle--"How is it that your beasts are so good upon their legs +compared with others?" The first day after the cattle are put out for +four hours they will not look so well, and will return to the stalls +very much fatigued; but on the second and third days of their exercise +they will recover their wonted appearance. They will walk eight or ten +miles in a morning and go fresh into the truck, and on reaching their +destination will come out and stand well up in the market. + +Founder generally yields to bleeding and two or three doses of salts +with sulphur and ginger: I never saw this treatment fail. Paralysis is +a more serious matter: in that case the firing-iron must be applied, +and after the most skilful treatment the results are often very +unsatisfactory. Cattle of all ages that are confined are liable to +paralysis of the hind quarters; the complaint, however, is most +prevalent among young bulls, and although removed, they generally lose +from six to twelve months' growth. Cattle that have been confined to +the stall, and even straw-yard cattle, are utterly unfit for the road, +on account of the softness of their hoofs, and when put to it at once, +are very apt to take paralysis if not carefully prepared by previous +exercise. A certain season of the year is more especially to be guarded +against--viz., from the middle of March to the middle of May. Cattle +that have been two weeks at grass may, however, be safely droved. + +Every one who has been in the cattle trade will recollect the losses he +has sustained in spring, in the transit of cattle, by the animals +throwing their hoofs; and we can all remember how often we have seen +our beasts, especially in dry warm weather in spring, lying on the +roads, and how we had to cart them home or to the nearest slaughtering +shop. If there be a separation of the hoof at the top from the skin, +and if a white frothy substance oozes out at this break, it is a sure +sign that irreparable injury has been done. The beast will pine on for +six months, and at last throw the old hoof when a new one has grown up. +This is a more teasing case to the owner than when the hoof is thrown +at once. The animal should be slaughtered immediately, if at all in +condition, as it will not only lose condition every day till the hoof +comes off, but be a bad thriver ever after. Five or six miles of bad +driving at this season is enough to do the whole business. If cattle +should cast their hoofs, or even one hoof, suddenly, if at all in +condition, they should also be slaughtered without delay, as they will +pine for six months and be a daily grievance to the owner. If it be a +young or valuable breeding animal, however, it should be bled, and get +two or three doses of cooling medicine to remove the inflammation; then +soiled in a loose-box, and his feet well bound up with tow and tar. If +animals are not slaughtered, I would recommend soiling in all cases, if +possible. But "prevention is better than cure;" and all this can be +avoided if we will only take proper precautions. I shall state the +method I adopt in my practice, and I have paid dearly for my +experience. I generally buy a good many beasts in spring in Morayshire, +and sometimes winter a lot or two there. Until within a few years we +had no railway conveyance, and the cattle all came by road. Before the +time appointed for lifting the cattle, I sent across three or four +able-bodied men who were acquainted with the dressing of the feet. +Beginning their operations at the most northern point of the county, +and going from one farm to another where the cattle were wintered, they +dressed every hoof of every bullock that required it. By dressing, and +by the proper training of the cattle before starting, I have brought +home thousands of them safe and sound. Proper attention was no doubt +paid to the droving, the men who had charge of them being trained to +the occupation. Short stages and plenty of food are indispensable to +their safe arrival. It is of great importance, in order to cattle +thriving upon grass, to have their feet properly dressed; and many of +our careful farmers have their cattle's feet dressed every year before +they are put out to grass, even although they are not sent from the +farm. The general method adopted in dressing is to take up the leg with +a rope run from the couple; this, however, must be a severe strain on +the beasts. The method I adopted when I was in the lean-cattle trade +was different: the bullock was driven to a wall; a man, or two men, +secured him by the nose and the back of the neck. The fore feet were +easy to hold up--one man could generally manage them; but the hind feet +were not so easy a matter, and it always required two, and sometimes +three, strong men to hold them up. It is done entirely by method: not +allowing the beast to stretch out his legs is the whole secret. The +bullock has no power if his legs are kept close to his hind quarters; +but if he is allowed to stretch them out, he will throw off any number +of men. Two men, one on each side, put their backs close to the hind +quarters of the bullock, and keep in his leg, not allowing him to +strike it out. There he is fixed; and the topsman, who is generally an +adept at the business, dresses the foot. + +Before the introduction of railways shoeing was sometimes required, but +more frequently in autumn than in spring. In bad weather many of the +cattle had to be shod, else they never could have performed their +journeys. In wet weather their hoofs wore through to the sensitive +parts, and they got lame; but when properly shod, they immediately +recovered and took the front of the drove. The following may appear +incredible, but it will show the proficiency some men attained in the +art. Robert Gall of Kennethmont on one occasion shod seventy cattle to +me in one day, near Perth, and no rope ever touched them in the field. +It should, however, be remembered that cattle, after being driven a +distance, get more easily handled. Robert Smith, one of the few of the +old race of drovers now alive, and who is still in my service, assisted +in this great performance. I should explain, for the sake of the +general reader, that the inside hoof of the fore foot is generally the +first to wear through. Many of the cattle had only one or two hoofs +shod, others perhaps three or four, and an exceptional beast would have +every one of the eight done. The shoes were made at the Crossgates of +Fife; they were sent by coach to different cattle stations, and the +men, by rotation, had to carry a supply upon their backs. It may seem a +strange fact that no other blacksmith could make nails equal to those +made at the Crossgates. The men would not hear of any others; they said +they would not drive. The Crossgates blacksmith not only supplied the +Scotch drovers, but also the English lean-cattle jobbers. + +As to fat cattle for market, after they are trained, they should not go +a yard except by rail or steamboat. As to trucking store cattle, this +must be regulated entirely by the season of the year and the weight of +the cattle, &c. I have always had a reluctance to truck store cattle if +I could possibly avoid it, not only for the expense, but for the risk +incurred from dirty and infected trucks. I would recommend, if the +cattle have a distance to travel in March, April, and May, and until +they have been fourteen days at grass, that they should be trucked. But +I have often been astonished at the recklessness of farmers buying +cattle in a fair, going straight to the nearest station, and turning +them into any dirty truck they can get--(when are trucks other than +dirty?) The danger is great; despite the utmost circumspection, even +the most careful may sometimes be caught. If those who act so escape, +it is not owing to their good management. I would recommend my friends, +when they go to a fair for the purpose of purchasing cattle, to take a +confidential servant of their own along with them, or else make it a +part of the bargain that the owner keeps the cattle for a certain time, +till the buyer can get the trucks properly cleaned--which I find no +difficulty in getting done--so that before they allow their cattle to +be trucked they may be satisfied the trucks are thoroughly cleaned. +They should be washed over with chloride of lime, or, what is still +better, given a fresh coat of paint. Three to four shillings will paint +a truck; that is a small matter--say sixpence a-head; but care must be +taken that the paint is dry before the cattle are put into the truck, +else the beasts will be poisoned. If this is neglected, there is great +risk of bringing home foot-and-mouth disease, or even the lung disease. +Some say that it was impossible to attend to such an operation--that +business called them home, and that people would not take home their +cattle. I have never found any difficulty in my own experience; but I +must allow that some sellers are too distant to send the cattle home. +In such an emergency the beasts should be laid past upon a little hay +or straw for a day in the neighbourhood; there is always a field to be +had, or the market green. What is a day, or a man or two, and a night's +hay, if your beasts come safe? Disease has been carried in this way to +hundreds of steadings, and the results have been most disastrous. The +day's rest will be a great advantage to the cattle after the fatigue of +standing in the market. The main object with store cattle should be to +keep them sound on their feet and free from disease. If their transit +is to be by rail, the quality of their food for a day or two is of +minor importance; they will soon recover. + +It would be foolish to truck store cattle after they have been at grass +for a few weeks. Their feet get hardened, and in the end of May, and in +June, July, and August, there is no risk of injuring the beasts by +driving in easy stages from ten to fourteen miles a-day. At that season +cattle can hedge it; they will live almost on what they pick up on the +roadsides as they go along. Your cattle arrive safe and sound, and free +from all trouble and risk as respects trucks. + +In the dead-meat trade there has now sprung up a new trade and almost a +new race of men. The quantity of dead meat sent from Aberdeen regulates +the Newgate market. Mr Bonser, the great dead-meat salesman, states in +his evidence before a committee of the House of Commons, "that there +are no others that know the beasts for the London market equal to the +Aberdeen butchers, and from no other place does it arrive in the same +condition; and this may be owing to the cold climate." Mr Wilson of +Edinburgh put the question to the Chamber of Agriculture, "What is the +reason that the Aberdeenshire cattle proved better and carried more +good flesh than any other cattle?" Mr Wilson's question is perhaps not +very easily answered, but I should give as some of the reasons the +following:--The Aberdeenshire farmers have turned their attention +almost exclusively to the breeding and feeding of cattle. They have +continued for a long period, without regard to price, in many cases, to +introduce the best blood into their herds. By a long-continued infusion +of first-class animals, and weeding out inferior animals, they have +established a breed unequalled for meat-producing qualities in Britain. +The Aberdeenshire turnips have been proved by analysis to be of a very +superior quality, and it is likewise a good grazing county. Another +point is the great attention paid to calves after weaning, and not +allowing them to lose the calf-flesh, which, if lost, can never be +regained. But the indomitable perseverance of the farmers in selecting +good and weeding out inferior animals is, I think, the main cause. + +It will be seen by the following table that the dead-meat trade has +become one of the great institutions of the country. There are +hundreds engaged in the business, and it is yearly increasing. Amongst +the greatest senders are Messrs Butler, Skinner, Wishart, and Wisely, +and White of Aberdeen; but a great deal of dead meat is also sent from +the rural districts. When the supply is short, some of our most +enterprising butchers attend the Glasgow market, bring down cattle, and +slaughter them in Aberdeen, and send their carcasses to London. I have +known Mr Butler bring down fifty in one week. The following table shows +the number of cattle and tons of dead meat sent to the London and other +markets during 1865 and the six previous years; it also shows what was +sent by rail and sea respectively:-- + + CATTLE. DEAD MEAT. + + Year. Rail. Sea. Rail. Sea. + 1859 13,130 7,282 6,905 tons. 48 tons. + 1860 13,993 3,782 5,769 tons. 53 tons. + 1861 8,852 8,324 8,041 tons. 127 tons. + 1862 6,281 4,518 9,392 tons. 76 tons. + 1863 9,623 4,163 9,395 tons. 58 tons. + 1864 7,624 3,551 9,840 tons. 2 tons. + 1865 9,031 4,558 10,074 tons. 61 tons. + +Taking the year 1865, there were 10,074 tons of dead meat sent by rail, +and 61 tons by sea. Calculating that 6 cwt. was the average weight of +the cattle, this will show that 33,783 cattle were sent away from +Aberdeen as dead meat, against 9031 live cattle by rail and 4558 by +sea, so that 20,194 more were sent away dead than alive. The live +cattle would weigh 7 cwt., or 1 cwt. more than the dead.[4] + + [4] Since the amalgamation between the Caledonian + Railway and the Scottish North-Eastern took place, the returns of + cattle and dead meat sent to London and elsewhere have not been + given to the public. The Caledonian Company refused repeatedly to + give them, and when pressed by myself, offered to let me have + access to the accumulated pile of forwarding-notes for the last + four years! The following valuable statistics, compiled by Mr + James Valentine, Aberdeen, show that the proportion of dead meat + sent to London is on the increase:-- + + 1. The _cattle and dead meat sent by sea_ during the past + three years stood:-- + + CATTLE. DEAD MEAT. + Year. Number. Tons. + 1866, 5483 499 + 1867, 2770 487 + 1868, 6313 380 + + 2. _Of dead meat booked "through" per Great North of Scotland + Railway_, the amount for five years was:-- + + Year. Tons. + 1864 1848 + 1865 2874 + 1866 3346 + 1867 3414 + 1868 3544 + + 3. The number of _cattle-hides_ passing through the hands + of the dealers in Aberdeen during 1867 was, in whole, 49,181. + In 1868 the number was 42,115, besides 13,167 from the county, + and 3125 from Kincardineshire. If we set down each animal + slaughtered at 6 cwt., this would give a total of 17,500 tons; + or, deducting the town's consumption (say 2500 tons), 15,000 + tons sent south for the year. Probably, however, though hides + to this amount dealt with in Aberdeen, represent meat as + stated, part of the meat may be included in the category + "booked through per Great North." Supposing, therefore, that + the whole amount of dead meat despatched from Aberdeen from + every quarter, in 1868, was 15,000 tons, we may assume that, in + addition, 7500 cattle were sent south. The tendency of late + years has undoubtedly been to send fewer live stock and more + dead meat to the London market, and also to send more cattle by + sea and dead meat by rail. + +I have stated that almost a new race of men has sprung up within the +last forty years. Very few are now alive that were prominent in the +cattle trade at that time; there are, however, some alive that I may +name: Mr Anderson, Pitcarry; Mr Lumsden, Aquhorthies; and Mr Stoddart, +Cultercullen. These must always hold a prominent position in the cattle +trade of Aberdeenshire, as Mr Anderson was the first man that shipped +cattle from Aberdeen, and Messrs Lumsden and Stoddart distinguished +themselves in Aberdeenshire as two of our best judges, and were amongst +the first to see and take advantage of steam communication. They are +now the oldest of the Aberdeen shippers of cattle. They were some of +the first to develop and mature that system of feeding which has made +Aberdeenshire celebrated through Britain. The Aberdeen butchers have a +higher standing than can be claimed by their brethren in any other part +of the kingdom. The butchers in other cities are generally only +purveyors, and never dispute the honours of the show-yard with the +grazier or breeder. They buy their weekly supply at their weekly +markets; but many of the chief Aberdeen butchers do not depend upon the +market for their supplies, but feed large lots of fine cattle and sheep +themselves to meet emergencies, upon which they can fall back. They do +more than this; they are the largest and most successful exhibitors at +our great annual fat shows. They are not only great purveyors +themselves, but they supply a good proportion of the Christmas prize +animals to the chief butchers of London, Birmingham, Liverpool, +Newcastle, York, Darlington, Edinburgh, Glasgow, &c. The names of +Martin, Stewart, Knowles, &c., are celebrated not only in Great +Britain, but in France. Such men are public benefactors, and entitled +to the gratitude of their country. Messrs James and William Martin +(butchers to the Queen) kill and retail 40 beasts and 100 sheep weekly. + Messrs Knowles, Stewart, and Milne, have grand retail trades, but Mr +White perhaps retails as much as, if not more than, any of them. It is +a great sight to see the display of meat and the immense crowd of +purchasers in his shop on a Friday forenoon. Mr White is a man who has +raised himself to the highest position by his steadiness and +persevering energy. He is one of those men who cannot be kept down. + +These butchers are also great senders of live cattle to London. At the +great market they stand pre-eminent. The Messrs Martin, who stand at +the top, send as many as 100 or 150 cattle, worth from L35 to L50 +a-head. Messrs Stewart, Knowles, Wishart, and Wisely, &c., send yearly +splendid lots. Messrs Wishart and Wisely, as feeders and dealers, are +gradually drawing to the top. They feed a great many superior cattle, +and put an immense number through their hands. Many of them they send +alive to London, but they also send an enormous quantity of dead meat. +No men in the trade know their business better. Mr Martin, however, +must still stand at the top. As an example, I may mention that he +exhibited a four-year-old Highlander at Birmingham, London, and +Liverpool in 1868, which gained the first prize at each of these +places. His head now adorns Mr Martin's shop in New Market, alongside +of the royal arms, the firm being butchers to her Majesty. It is a +perfect model of what the head of a Highlander should be. Deacon Milne, +however, surpassed them all for several years, if not in numbers, in +the quality and value of the animals he forwarded to the great +Christmas market. For several years Mr Skinner, Woodside, has sent +about 100 valuable animals to the Christmas market. He is one of the +greatest senders of dead meat, and he also feeds a large lot of +bullocks. To speak of all the senders of dead meat, butchers, and +jobbers, in the city and the provinces, would be a hopeless and an +endless task. I believe there cannot be fewer than 500 in Aberdeenshire +alone; and, long as I have been connected with the cattle trade, I +could not name one in ten. + +I have briefly noticed the cattle trade in connection with the Aberdeen +butchers: let me now glance at the shippers and jobbers of the +provinces, as it is from them that the raw material is furnished. The +following remarks apply to Aberdeen, Banff, and Moray shires: our +provincial jobbers are a host in themselves, and are a very +heterogeneous multitude: from the man who can pay thousands, through +all the intermediate stages, down to the man that buys a beast and +cannot lift it unless he can sell it there and then for a profit. We +have a large class of the first, who can not only pay their hundreds +but their thousands. We have an intermediate class that job, generally +occupiers of two and four horse farms. There is no end to their +peregrinations, toil, and industry; in summer, in winter, in fair and +foul, by night and by day, by moonlight and by starlight, they scour +the country, and collect cattle from all points of the compass, and +sell them at the fairs to farmers, butchers, and dealers. We have also +the dealer of smaller pretensions, who can only afford to buy a beast +or two, which he drives to market himself; such a beginning, however, I +have known end in becoming the proprietor of L25,000 worth of landed +property. We have the cow-jobber, and it is sometimes a very lucrative +business; many have been very successful in the trade. Mr Forrest was a +cow-jobber: he rented all the grass land round Hamilton Palace for many +years from the Duke of Hamilton. He bought nothing but cows, and it was +said he would ride 100 miles to buy a farrow cow. He died worth a +fortune, and proprietor of a good estate. We have the jobber who buys +only lean store cattle, and the jobber of fat cattle alone. Banffshire +can claim a Stoddart, and Morayshire the two M'Kessocks, the Laird of +Ardgay, and the tenant of Balnaferry; and I do not know which to admire +most, the daring and skill of the laird, or the caution and skill of +the tenant, Macdonald of Blervie, through whose hands three-fourths of +the store cattle in Morayshire pass. We have in Aberdeenshire Mr Reid, +Greystone, in the Vale of Alford; Mr Stoddart, Cultercullen; the Messrs +Bruce in Alford, Clova, and Strathbogie; and Mr Mennie of Huntly. Mr +Reid, Greystone, has attained the highest position as a feeder and +grazier amongst British agriculturists. His stock have for many years +taken a most prominent place at our national shows at London, +Birmingham, Liverpool, York, Newcastle, Leeds, Edinburgh, &c. &c. + + + + +IV. BLACK POLLED ABERDEEN AND ANGUS CATTLE & SHORTHORNS. + + +It is not my purpose to treat of shorthorns: I may, however, glance at +some of the principal breeders of that kind of stock in the north. Mr +Alexander Hay, Shethin, was the first who introduced shorthorns into +Aberdeenshire. He bought the celebrated bull "Jerry" from the late Mr +John Rennie of Phantassie; and he was the first shorthorn that crossed +the Dee. I should have mentioned his brother, the late William Hay, +Shethin, the celebrated breeder of shorthorns, and one of the greatest +feeders in the north. He was the first man in Aberdeenshire who gained +a prize at the Smithfield Club Show, the animal being a Hereford ox; +and he was also the first that sent cattle by railway to London. He and +the Messrs Cruickshank, Sittyton, had everything their own way in the +show-yard for years. The late Mr Grant Duff of Eden was one of the +greatest and most systematic breeders of shorthorns in the north. He +paid 170 guineas for "Brawith Bud," and she made his "herd's fortunes." +He astonished the country by his crosses between the shorthorns and +West-Highlanders. He was dead against the system of forcing for the +show-yard. + +Foremost among eminent breeders of shorthorns in the north at the +present time are the Messrs Cruickshank, Sittyton. Their fame is +European; they own the largest herds of shorthorns in the world. It is +only necessary to name "Fairfax Royal," "Prince Edward Fairfax," +"Velvet Jacket," "Matadore," "Lord Sackville," the "Baron" by "Baron +Warlaby," "Master Butterfly," the "2d John Bull," "Lancaster Comet," +"Lord Raglan," "Ivanhoe," "Lord Garlies," "Malachite," "Windsor +Augustus," "Sir James the Rose," and last, though not least, +"Forth"--to show the distinguished position their herd has taken. +Suffice it to say that no other breeder of shorthorns can claim having +owned such an array of first-class bulls. Amongst the eminent breeders +of shorthorns, Mr Campbell, Kinellar, occupies a distinguished place. I +believe no one is a better judge of shorthorns, and no other has been +more successful as a breeder. Mr C. began to breed this class of stock +about twenty years ago, and "Lord Scarboro'," "Mosstrooper," +"Beeswing," "Garioch Boy," "Scarlet Velvet," and "Diphthong," are some +of the celebrated bulls that have been introduced into the herd. +"Scarlet Velvet" and "Diphthong" gained the Aberdeenshire challenge-cup +in 1862-63. At his annual sales his bull calves bring high prices; for +some as much as sixty, eighty, and a hundred guineas each have been +paid. His stock has for years taken a high position in our show-yards. +Mr George Shepherd, Shethin, who succeeded his father-in-law, Mr Wm. +Hay, had one of the largest herds of shorthorns, which were mostly sold +off some years ago. Mr Shepherd's herd was of the highest blood, and +won many prizes. The bull "Cherry Duke the Second," bred by Mr Bolden +and bought by Mr Shepherd, jun., from Mr Atherston, was invincible. +After gaining every prize in the north and the challenge-cup at +Aberdeen, he finished his honourable career as a prize-winner at +Edinburgh, when, in 1859, he took the first prize in the aged bull +class. Mr Milne of Kinaldie is an eminent breeder of shorthorns; he has +distanced all other competitors with his cows. Mr Marr, Uppermill, has +got some of the very best shorthorns in the country; and his brother Mr +Marr, Cairnbrogie; Mr Scott, Glendronach; Mr Bruce, Broadland; and Mr +Mitchell, Haddo--are all eminent breeders of shorthorns. Their bull +calves command high prices at their annual sales. In Banffshire we have +that veteran and successful breeder, Mr Longmore, Rettie, whose stock +has long borne a high character. In Morayshire we have two eminent +breeders--Mr Geddes of Orbliston and Mr M'Kessock, Balnaferry, who have +everything their own way in the show-yard north of the Spey. Mr Geddes +stood at the top of the Highland Society's prize-list at the Inverness +show as the owner of the best aged shorthorned bull, and was a winner +along with Mr John M'Kessock in the class of shorthorned heifers. Mr +Stronach of Ardmellie was a successful breeder of shorthorns. He sold +off his stock some years ago. His farm was only 100 acres, but his +stock fetched high prices. One yearling quey brought L54, and a cow +L53. The proceeds of the sale amounted to about L1000--a large sum, +considering the smallness of the farm. Mr Stronach was for many years a +successful competitor at the local shows, and sold a cow to Mr +Cruickshank that carried the first prize at one of the Highland +Society's shows at Aberdeen. Mr Stronach crossed the yellow Highland +cows and heifers with shorthorn bulls, and the result was very +successful. Mr Stronach was also an exhibitor at the Paris show. + +I have only glanced at the breeders of shorthorns in the north; in +conclusion, I may notice some of those noblemen and gentlemen who have +distinguished themselves as breeders of Aberdeen and Angus polled +cattle. Among these the late Hugh Watson, Keillor, deserves to be put +in the front rank. No breeder of polled Aberdeen and Angus will grudge +that well-merited honour to his memory. We all look up to him as the +first great improver, and no one will question his title to this +distinction. There is no herd in the country which is not indebted to +the Keillor blood. For many a long year Mr Watson carried everything +before him. He began to exhibit in 1810, and won during his lifetime +some 200 prizes for cattle, sheep, and cart and thoroughbred horses. +The heifers which he exhibited at Perth in 1829 were greatly admired; +and the Smithfield heifer of '29 was so good that she was modelled, and +her portrait is in the volume 'Cattle' of the publications of the +Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. He gained the Pureell +challenge-cup at Belfast for an Angus ox, which was kept by the Prince +Consort at the Royal Farm, Windsor, till his death, when his age was +seventeen. As an example of the longevity of the race, Mr Watson's +celebrated cow, "Old Grannie," the first cow in the Polled Herd Book, +died at thirty-five years of age. Mr Watson bred many celebrated bulls, +but "Old Jock" was _facile princeps_. He carried everything before +him, and in 1844 was sold for a hundred guineas--a large price at that +time. To "Angus," who fell into my hands, I am indebted for some of the +best blood in the male line. Mr Watson also bred "Strathmore," +"Windsor," "Pat," and "Second Jock," which last beat all the bulls in a +sweepstake at Perth in 1852, after he was thirteen years old. + +Mr Bowie, of Mains of Kelly, has been a most successful and energetic +breeder of polled cattle. To him I am indebted for "Hanton," who, with +"Angus" and "Panmure" in the male line, were my "herds' fortunes." He +also bred "Cup-Bearer," who did so much good for Lord Southesk's herd. +"Second Earl Spencer" and "Cup-Bearer" were 1st and 2d prize bulls at +Berwick. At our national shows Mr Bowie has been the most successful +prize-taker in the Bull classes. Where he has exhibited he has +generally carried the first honours. At Aberdeen, at Berwick, at +Dumfries, and at the Royal Agricultural Society of England, his bulls +were invincible. It is most deeply to be regretted that the plague got +into his stock, and he has sustained a heavy loss. Still he came out +better than any of his neighbours. He saved twenty-three cattle; and +his herd will, I trust, in a few years attain its wonted position. I +have drawn, at one time or another, largely from Mr Bowie's stock, and +have paid him high prices--as high as a hundred guineas for bulls, and +forty, fifty, and sixty guineas for females. Mr Bowie is one of the +best judges of Aberdeen and Angus cattle in Scotland. + +Lord Southesk was one of our most enterprising breeders of polled +stock; and before the plague decimated his fine herd last year, it was +almost the best in the land. There has been a herd of pure Angus cattle +at Kinnaird for fifty years; but when his lordship succeeded to the +property it got a fresh start. He introduced "Cup-Bearer" by "Pat" from +Mr Bowie's herd, and he did good service. The well-known "Druid," of +show-yard celebrity, was descended from "Cup-Bearer" and from "Dora," +bred to Mr Ruxton of Farnell. "Windsor" was afterwards introduced. He +was bought from George Brown, Westerton of Fochabers, for two hundred +guineas, and took the first prize at Edinburgh in the aged bull class; +the silver medal to the breeder came to Tillyfour. He was carried off +by the plague, at nine years of age, last winter at Kinnaird. "Druid" +was a great prize-winner, and gained more than L100 in his different +journeys, and a host of medals. The Kelso heifers were very superior, +and "Quadrona" gained the first prize at Smithfield in the female +polled class. It is deeply to be regretted that Lord Southesk's fine +herd suffered so heavily by the rinderpest. This has been indeed a +national loss. Lord Southesk spared no expense in purchasing the finest +animals, and had an able assistant in his brother, the Hon. Charles +Carnegie, M.P., who is not only a good judge, but knows the pedigrees +of the different polled herds better than any other man. + +William Fullerton, late of Mains of Ardovie, now of Mains of Ardestie, +was a celebrated breeder of Angus cattle; but pleuro-pneumonia got into +his herd, and he lost no fewer than eighty cattle by the disease. One +bull that recovered was good enough to go to Glasgow and take the first +prize in the aged bull class. His bull "Panmure" gained the first prize +at the Highland Society's Show at Dundee in the aged bull class, and Mr +Fullerton also carried off the prize for the three best cows. "Panmure" +was sold to the late Mr Taylor, Wellhouse, Alford, and some of my best +stock trace their descent from "Panmure." The late Lord Panmure sent +the late Mr Phillip, the great painter, to Wellhouse, to take the +bull's portrait. Not satisfied with Mr Phillip's first sketch, he sent +him back; and Mr Phillip lived at Wellhouse for weeks, and painted +"Panmure" a second time. Mr Fullerton is one of our best judges, and to +him I am indebted for my best stock in the female line. It was at his +sale I purchased the "Queen," whose descendants in the female line +have, except in two or three solitary cases, driven competition before +them in Scotland, England, and France. Many of my best stock trace +their pedigree from the "Queen." + +The Ballwyllo herd have long been celebrated, and were a tower of +strength at the Angus Agricultural Society's shows. The late Mr Robert +Scott was a most enthusiastic and successful breeder. The prizes gained +by the Ballwyllo herd were very numerous. At Aberdeen, in 1847, Mr +Robert Scott gained the first prize for a cow from the Highland +Society; and at Windsor, in 1851, he gained the first prize in the cow +class for the same animal, which was bred at Tillyfour. He also gained +the first prize in the aged bull class at Perth, and the first prize in +the yearling heifer class. Both animals were bred at Ballwyllo. The +Ballwyllo stock have taken a prominent place at Dumfries, and at the +Royal Northern Agricultural Society's shows. Since Mr Robert Scott's +death, Mrs Scott, his mother, has most enthusiastically stuck to the +Angus Doddies; but it is a matter of deep regret that she also was a +severe sufferer by the rinderpest. + +Mr Mustard, Leuchland, is a very old breeder, and I believe no purer +stock exist in Forfarshire. Mr Mustard never forces his stock for the +show-yard, and seldom sends any except to the county show, where they +are always winners. I have often admired the purity, style, and +condition--as it ought to be in a breeding stock--of the Leuchland +herd. Mr Lyell, of Shielhill, brother of Sir Charles Lyell, has a very +good herd of polled Angus cattle. His bull "Prospero" gained the first +prize at Perth in the two-year-old class, and at Battersea Park he won +the first prize in the aged bull class. Mr Leslie of the Thorn is also +a most successful breeder. He came out so strong at Stirling that he +beat all and sundry for yearling bulls, and followed up his conquests +by selling "President the Fourth" at an almost fabulous price. + +From Angus we come north to Kincardine, and we there find the +celebrated breeder since 1826, Mr Robert Walker, Portlethen. It would +be endless to attempt to sum up his victories, local, national, and +international, they are spread over such a large surface. Mr Walker was +a most successful competitor at the International Show at Paris, and +refused L230 for his prize bull. His bull "Porty" was sent to Inverury, +and took the first prize. There was no Aberdeen show at that time. "The +Banks of Dee" carried everything before him, and his descendants gained +seven firsts and a second in one year in the show-yard; but although Mr +Walker had never bred another animal save "Fox Maule," his celebrity as +a breeder would have been established. "Fox Maule" was one of the best +polled bulls ever exhibited. Mr Hector, late in Fernyflat, was a very +celebrated breeder of polled cattle, and his stock was of the very +highest order, and gained many prizes at our national shows. The +Crathes stock is of long standing. The late Sir Thomas Burnett was a +most successful breeder, and stood in the front rank for many a long +year. The Crathes herd was a tower of strength, and under the able +management of Mr John Davidson they were dangerous antagonists. I have +had many encounters with them in the Aberdeen show-yard, and have got +soundly beaten. "The Banks of Dee," mentioned above, was the most +celebrated bull of his day, and took the first prize wherever he was +exhibited, local and national. Sir Thomas had his portrait taken and +engraved. The prizes gained by the Crathes stock count by the hundred. +On the lamented death of Sir Thomas Burnett he was succeeded by his +brother, Sir Alexander Burnett, who kept up the stock; and at his death +he was succeeded by the present proprietor, Sir James Burnett, who has +added drafts from the best stocks in the country. There is no doubt the +Crathes herd will remain true to its ancient fame. + +In Aberdeenshire the breeders of polled cattle are very numerous, but +we shall only mention a few. William M'Combie, of Easter Skene, has +always stuck to the polled breed, and his stock have been conspicuous +as prize-takers. His cow, "Queen of Scots," beat Lord Southesk's "Dora" +and ten other fine cows in 1853, and "Roderick Dhu" gained the first +prize the same year, while "Alastor the Second" beat "Fox Maule" at +Aberdeen--the only time that animal ever was beaten. One ox I purchased +from Mr M'Combie gained the first prize at Glasgow at the last fat show +held by the Highland Society.[5] + + [5] Mr M'Combie has taken a very prominent position since the + above was written. At the Highland Society's show at Aberdeen he + gained the first prize for the best yearling bull, the first + prize for the best two-year-old bullock, and other prizes. + +Colonel Fraser, of Castle Fraser, has also stuck to the Aberdeen and +Angus polled cattle. His stock take a prominent place at the Royal +Northern Agricultural Society's shows.[6] They are not pampered for +show-yard purposes, but he has bred from the best blood, and his stock +always take a good place where exhibited. In the Garioch, as a breeder +of polled cattle, Mr Stephen, Conglass, stands pre-eminent. The +Conglass stock have been handed down from father to son, and the son +has not allowed them to lose their position. Mr Stephen gained the Fat +challenge-cup by a three-year-old ox, bred to himself at Aberdeen in +1864. At Poissy he carried off the first prize for the best heifer, +beating all and sundry. + + [6] Since the first edition of this book was published, Colonel + Fraser's stock has taken a leading position. At the Royal + Northern Agricultural Society's show in 1867, he gained the + Polled challenge-cup. The cup has to be gained for three + successive years by the same party, and with different animals, + before it becomes his property. I had gained it the two preceding + years, and it was now fairly within my grasp. It was my last + asking, but it was dashed from my lips, and went for the time to + Castle Fraser, instead of going to Tillyfour for ever. Colonel + Fraser likewise gained the first prize for the same cow at the + Highland Society's show at Glasgow in 1867; and again carried + first honours with a younger cow at the Highland Society's show + at Aberdeen last summer. + + Mr M'Combie of Easter Skene's farm-manager has great merit by his + indefatigable exertions in bringing up the Easter Skene stock to + its high position. He is an old and respected servant of my own, + and nothing gives him so much satisfaction as to beat his old + master. Mr Hampton, manager for Castle Fraser, deserves equal + credit for his unwearied exertions in improving the Castle Fraser + stock. + +In Banffshire, Mr Walker of Montbletton is the most celebrated breeder. + He has twenty breeding cows, and has carried almost every medal and +prize at the Banff and Turriff shows for polled cattle, as well as many +of the highest prizes at the Royal Northern and Highland Society's +shows. + +In Morayshire we have Mr Brown, Westerton, who is well known as one of +our best judges of polled cattle. Mr Brown's herd came first +prominently into notice at the Highland Society's show at Inverness in +1856, when he carried off the highest honours for heifers, and was +second to "Hanton"--who never was beaten but once--in the aged bull +class. At the Highland Society's show at Aberdeen, he was first with +"Windsor" in the two-year-old class. Mr Brown's skill was tested as to +the purchase and sale of "Windsor;" he bought him from me as a calf in +low condition, under L40, and sold him to Lord Southesk for 200 +guineas. At Elgin, at Aberdeen, and at the Highland Society's shows, Mr +Brown was a most successful competitor. But at the Dumfries show, Mr +Brown, Mr Collie, and myself got pleuro-pneumonia into our stock, and +it decimated Mr Brown's valuable herd. Mr Brown's character as a judge +stands in the front rank with the breeders of Aberdeen and Angus stock, +and he has often been put on to act in that capacity by the Directors +of the Highland and Royal Northern Agricultural Societies. + +Mr Paterson, Mulben, is a great and fortunate breeder of polled stock. +Mr Paterson commenced to breed in 1846. His celebrated "Mayflower" was +the first-prize cow at the Highland Society's show at Perth in 1861; +"Malcolm" was first at Elgin and Aberdeen, and second at Perth; and +"Prince of Wales," bred to Mr Brown, Westerton, was first at Aberdeen +in 1862, and first at the Highland Society's show at Stirling. It would +be a hopeless as well as an endless task to record Mr Paterson's +victories at the Highland and Royal Northern Societies' shows at Elgin, +Aberdeen, Banff, Huntly, and Dufftown, where he has often got +everything his own way. + +Mr John Collie, Ardgay, was a celebrated breeder, and was one of the +most dangerous men to face in the show-yard I have ever encountered. He +gave me a sound drubbing at Edinburgh in the Cow class, and beat me for +a first place out of my own kennel with "Fair Maid of Perth," which he +bought from me at 81 guineas; but not satisfied with that, he took a +second place with "Mayflower," bred to Mr Paterson, and left me with +the bronze medal for my cow prize. I am indebted to Mr Collie for some +of my best animals--viz., "Zara," the second-prize heifer at Battersea, +and "Kate of Aberdeen," out of "Zara," and many others. He has been a +very successful exhibitor of stock, and has distinguished himself at +Elgin, Aberdeen, the Highland Society's shows, and the great +International Exhibition at Paris. The ox I gained the Smithfield prize +with in 1864 was bred to Mr Collie. + +Perhaps the Ballindalloch herd of polled cattle are the oldest in the +north; they have been the talk of the country since my earliest +recollection, and were then superior to all other stock. The herd has +been kept up to its wonted standard, and even raised higher, by the +present proprietor, Sir George Macpherson Grant, of Ballindalloch and +Invereshie, by selections from the best herds in the kingdom. Coming +fast into notice is the Drumin herd; it consists of about twenty cows +and their followers. Mr Skinner has improved his stock by drafts from +the best herds in the country. He never forces for the show-yard, but +his stock have been very successful at the Spey and Avonside +Agricultural Society's shows. He has won the first prize for cows for +the last two years--no small victory, when he had Sir George Macpherson +Grant and Mr Paterson to contend against. He has also had his fair +share of prizes for bulls, heifers, and bullocks. A bullock bred at +Drumin took the first prize at Liverpool, in the Polled class, in +December last. Mr Skinner has not exhibited his stock at the Highland +Society's shows, but there is no doubt we shall see them there +by-and-by.[7] + + [7] Mr Skinner was an exhibitor at the Highland Society's show at + Aberdeen last summer, and gained the first prize for his + two-year-old heifer. + + + + +V. HINTS ON THE BREEDING AND CARE OF CATTLE. + + +It has been suggested to me that I should add my experience as a +breeder of Aberdeen and Angus stock to my observations on the feeding +of cattle. It is with considerable hesitation that I have ventured to +put upon paper my views upon a subject on which there is such diversity +of opinion. It will, however, lessen the field of controversy, that my +practice and observations apply only to the Aberdeen and Angus breed; +although I presume what applies to one breed may apply in a great +degree to all. My observations may be of some use to those readers who +have not devoted much attention to the subject; they may prove of +interest even to more experienced breeders, should I be able to adduce +facts that may have escaped their notice, or in confirmation of their +own observations. I can hardly speak with the same authority as a +breeder, generally, that I can as a feeder; yet I have been a close +observer now for many years, and devoted my earnest attention to the +improvement of the Aberdeen and Angus polled breed of cattle, with +respect to size, symmetry, fineness of bone, strength of constitution, +and disposition to accumulate fat, sparing no expense in obtaining the +finest animals from the purest stock. + +Laying the foundation of a breeding stock will be the first matter +under consideration. We are met here at the very outset by the +advocates of blood and those of selection. Much may be said and volumes +have been written in favour of both. My experience leads me to take a +middle course between the two, and to keep in view both the one and the +other. With respect to the qualifications of a successful breeder, +Darwin writes: "Not one man in a thousand has accuracy of eye and +judgment sufficient to become an eminent breeder. If gifted with these +qualities, and he studies the subject for years, and devotes his +lifetime to it with indomitable perseverance, he will succeed and make +great improvements; and if he wants any of these qualities he will +assuredly fail." Darwin's view will be found pretty correct. Many breed +with a certain success, and even rush to the top for a time in the +show-yard, but it is only those described by Darwin who will finally +succeed. In laying the foundation of a breeding stock there is +generally one of two objects in view: either, first, to raise up a herd +the best of its race, with a view to competition in the show-yard and +to improve it to the utmost; or, second, to breed commercial cattle for +commercial purposes with the greatest possible profit. The first +requires independent means; and, to secure success, skill, +perseverance, and patience under heavy disappointments. The second can +be attained by ordinary prudence. If the first object be the one aimed +at, the selection should be made from the most established herds, and +of animals of pedigree, and possessing the characteristics of the race +you intend to propagate. But my attention will be more particularly +directed to the second. There are few that have hatfuls of money to +expend upon the purchase of high-bred animals; nor is this necessary in +order to secure a profitable return from a breeding stock. + +I would recommend the following method: I shall suppose a farmer wishes +to buy twenty cows to stock his farm (Aberdeen and Angus cattle). His +entry is, say, at Whitsunday. He must have a bull to serve his cows. He +should be selected from an established herd and from a race of good +milkers. The farmer must be a good judge, or employ one in whom he has +implicit confidence to act in his behalf. In his selection he must have +a certain model in his eye, such as he wishes to propagate. I assume +that he considered that his farm is adapted for the rearing of the +Aberdeen and Angus breed of cattle, and is convinced of their hardihood +of constitution being adapted to his soil and the climate. He ought to +keep to certain ground in his selection; that, namely, where the polled +breed are still in a state of purity, as in Angus, Aberdeen, +Kincardine, Banff, and Moray shires. He ought to visit the Alford +district, and all to the west of Alford. On the Spey he will find +cattle well worth his attention. They are not of large size generally, +but many of fine quality. In the neighbourhood of Dufftown, and west +from Dufftown, there are many useful beasts. The Mearns and Angus he +should carefully examine, visiting the farms where polled cattle are +bred. The wealthy breeder, No. 1, may look to the honours of the +show-yard; but No. 2, with his limited means, must have regard only to +his ultimate profit. + +As it is a Whitsunday entry, he ought to have the lot made up, and the +bull put to them in season, that he may not lose a year. The cows he +buys will give milk to the house, and the two-year-old heifers will be +easily kept on. I speak on the supposition that cows and heifers are +bought, but the majority should be heifers. He ought to attend all the +fairs in his power through spring, and be on the instant ready to pick +up a suitable beast wherever it appears, which he can always do at +market value. He ought to select the best heifers or cows (duly +informing himself as to their breeding) from the different districts I +have named. The produce, after a first-class bull, will be astonishing. +The cows that throw the best calves should be retained, while those +that "cry back" should be dismissed, and their places filled up with a +new selection. By careful breeding for two years there will be a most +useful profitable breeding stock established, and there is no doubt +that even some good races may be secured. We have ample experience and +proof of this in the good calves thrown by our worthless little black +polled country cows, and it is on my experience of this fact that my +recommendation is founded. For two-year-olds rising three, out of small +cows, I have at Christmas got L40 from the butcher. Purity of blood in +the male will be found highly to improve inferior races. A herd of +breeding stock without the risk of haphazard will be secured at a +moderate cost--one that will be profitable to the owner. + +The following remarks apply partly to a show-yard herd, and partly to +one for commercial purposes. In the original selection, as I have +already observed, the breeder must have in his eye the model he wishes +to propagate. The animals selected should approach the desired type as +nearly as can be obtained; and by careful and repeated selections the +ideal may be reached. The selector must be well satisfied as to +soundness of constitution, especially in laying the foundation of a +show-yard herd. If male or female have hereditary defects of +constitution, their progeny will inherit them. Show-yard stock, being +pampered for exhibition, are more liable than the common stock of the +country to be affected with hereditary diseases. Pedigree is of the +most vital importance. We ought always to prefer a bull of high +pedigree, with fair symmetry and quality, to another bull, though much +superior in appearance, but of questionable pedigree. If the latter be +turned to a herd superior in blood to himself, incalculable mischief +may be done. Breeders have not given the subject the attention it +deserves. I have paid dearly for my experience in the matter. But +bulls, even from the purest herds, will not all produce stock alike. +Some will give a majority of bull calves, others a majority of heifer +calves; some will be famous for getting fine bulls, and others for +getting fine heifers, while others produce little to boast of in the +one or the other. No one can affirm that he has a first-class sire till +he has been tested. If the result be satisfactory, money should be no +temptation; he must not be sold. It must not be forgotten that the male +has most influence in breeding; but without first-class females the +descendants will not shine generally in the show-yard. Breeding for the +show-yard must not be left to haphazard; nor is the breeder likely to +be successful if pride and conceit be his besetting sins. Take the +following by way of illustration: At perhaps a distant sale a fine cow +is bought, or it may be at market. Attention to pedigree is ignored; +the age is perhaps considered of no consequence. On her arrival she is +examined and applauded by friends and neighbours. The inspection may +cost the owner gallons of whisky; but she is to prove a mine of wealth. +Great hopes are entertained of her progeny. The calf is expected to be +first-class. After days of care and nights of dreams and anxious +watchings, with unnecessary aid in calving, the calf at last sees the +light of day. The owner is disgusted at the result. The cow yields +little milk, either for the calf or the family. She is sent where she +should have gone years before--to the butcher. The disappointed owner +in future buys the cheapest animals that come to hand. If pedigree be +ignored, and the sire be of doubtful antecedents, except in an +accidental case, the progeny will be at the best of medium quality; but +by ordinary precaution such loss may be avoided. + +Breeding in-and-in has some advantages and many advocates. It is a +knotty point to touch upon. At the commencement I stated that my own +experience led me to adopt a middle course; that experience has not +been in favour of the system. By adhering to it I found that quality +was maintained, and even improved; but size was reduced, and symptoms +of delicacy of constitution were manifested. It may be pursued for a +time, until the type is developed, but to continue for any length of +time to breed _in_ and in, is not only against my experience, but, +I believe, against nature. + +In looking over a herd of breeding cattle, I have often seen the owner +or the cattle-keeper pointing out a cow that throws a good calf, and +never threw a bad one, and at the same time telling you how great a +milker she is. It would be difficult to buy such a cow too dear. Most +of the above remarks may apply alike to the home farm of the +proprietor, to the large and small farmer, and to the crofter with one +cow. It is well known to breeders of cattle, and I believe of sheep, +that there are particular races that are celebrated, and upon which you +can calculate that they will never propagate an inferior animal. +Specimens not so desirable will now and again appear, but the blood is +there, and the divergence will not be great from the desired type. +Again, there will be one race noted for producing celebrated males, and +another for producing celebrated females. A bull may be introduced that +is a great getter of bull calves, yet the change may not be to the +advantage of the owner, as the female calves will not be bred of so +high an order. Professor Thury, of Geneva, has written a very +interesting paper on the law of the production of sexes. In a letter to +me, dated 14th February 1864, he says: "There are, if the owner +pleases, two periods of heating: the one the general period, which +shows itself in the course of the year, following the seasons; the +other, a particular period, which lasts in cows from twenty-four to +forty-eight hours, and which reveals itself a certain number of times. +It is this particular period, lasting from twenty-four to forty-eight +hours, the commencement of which gives females, while its termination +gives males. In order that we may obtain a certain result, we must not +cause the same cow to be covered twice in succession at an interval too +short, for the (generative) substance of the bull preserves itself for +a time sufficiently long in the organs of the cow. In the experiments +made in Switzerland we have taken the cow at the first certain signs of +heating, for the purpose of obtaining heifers, and at the termination +of the heating for the purpose of obtaining males. The result of these +experiments is, that we do not yet know what is the relative length of +time which gives females, and the time which gives males; this would +form an interesting subject of examination. I am of opinion that +various circumstances must be regarded as influencing the relative +period, so as to alter the moment of (conception), and that the season +must exercise considerable influence. I am of opinion that in such +questions as that which forms the subject of my little work, we +physiologists should learn much from men of practice and experience, +such as you, who have afforded proofs of their knowledge. The best +results will follow when the raisers and experimentalists direct their +attention to the same object." I would here acknowledge the courtesy +and kindness of Professor Thury in so readily responding to my +inquiries. The experiments conducted in Switzerland were decisive in +support of Professor Thury's theory. In a trial of twenty-eight cows, +it proved correct in the whole number. + +In the selection of the male, you will have to consider the faulty or +defective points in your cows with a view to correct them. As far as +possible--pedigree being right--you ought to purchase the bull that is +strong upon the points where your females are faulty. If this is not +duly attended to, the defect or malformation may be aggravated. But +although the bull selected possesses the excellence wanting in the +cows, he ought, of course, not to be very deficient in other points, +else the cure may be worse than the disease. If possible, he should be +taken from a pasture not superior to your own. Docility of temper in +male and female is indispensable. Inexpressible mischief may be done by +the introduction of wild blood into the herd, for it is sure to be +inherited. I have suffered seriously by this error. + +To be good behind the shoulder, good in the girth, and well down in the +fore-rib, are the qualifications most difficult to attain. Lightness of +the fore-rib shows a tendency to delicacy of constitution, and strength +and soundness are most important to the success of the breeder. Depth +of rib is more important in the male than in the female. Lightness of +the fore-rib may be tolerated when milk is the object (and many great +milkers are so characterised), but not where the production of beef is +the object. Then you must study to combine quality with weight. Quality +ought to be the first consideration, but we must never forget that all +must come to lbs. at last. + +I have already given my opinion as to the shape and quality of a +perfect breeding and feeding animal. I shall only here remark that it +is indispensable in our cold climate that the animals should have a +good coat of soft silky hair to defend them from the cold blasts of +autumn, winter, and spring. + +The Rev. H. Berry, in his Essay on Breeding, remarks: "A person +selecting a stock from which to breed, notwithstanding he has set up +for himself a standard of perfection, will obtain them with +qualifications of different descriptions, and in different degrees. In +breeding from such he will exercise his judgment, and decide what are +indispensable or desirable qualities, and will cross with animals with +a view to establish them. This proceeding will be of the +'give-and-take' kind. He will submit to the introduction of a trifling +defect, in order that he may profit by a great excellence; and between +excellences perhaps somewhat incompatible he will decide on which is +the greatest, and give it the preference. To a person commencing +improvement, the best advice is to get as good a bull as he can; and if +he be a good one of his kind, to use him indiscriminately with all his +cows; and when by this proceeding, which ought to be persisted in, his +stock has, with an occasional change of bull, become sufficiently +stamped with desirable excellences, his selection of males should then +be made, to eradicate defects which he thinks it desirable to get rid +of. He will not fail to keep in view the necessity of _good blood_ +in the bulls resorted to, for that will give the only assurance that +they will transmit their own valuable properties to their offspring; +but he must not depend on this alone, or he will soon run the risk of +degeneracy." + +I agree generally with the above extract from Mr Berry's most valuable +prize essay; but I must take exception to at once using even the best +bull indiscriminately for a large and valuable herd of breeding cows. I +hold that every bull must be tested, and when the result is found +satisfactory, _then, and not till then_, use him indiscriminately +for all your cows. My experience coincides with Mr Berry's where he +says the wise breeder "will not fail to keep in view the necessity of +good blood in the bulls resorted to, for that will give the only +assurance that they will transmit their own valuable properties to +their offspring; but he must not depend upon this alone, or he will +soon run the risk of degeneracy." To keep up a breeding stock to a high +point of excellence is very difficult. The breeder ought to be always +buying and selling and incorporating different _strains_ together. +There will be many blanks, but there will be a prize; and when you hit, +and the incorporation proves a lasting benefit and is stamped on the +original herd, it is a great prize you have won. I therefore agree +with Mr Berry that we must not depend alone upon the good blood of the +bull. + +Having done my best to explain how I think the foundation of a breeding +stock should be laid, I shall now give my opinion and experience how +the herd should be treated, and how it should be kept up. The cows, +heifers, and bulls should be kept fresh, not fat, nor too lean. The +calves should have a different treatment. All breeding cattle tied to +the stall should be let out every day for two or three hours, or at +least every second day, unless the weather be very wet or stormy. The +finer the quality of the stock the less rich will be the food they +require. It is only throwing away your means to give high-bred cows +with calf, or heifers rising two years old, a full supply of turnips. A +few to keep them fresh and healthy, and plenty of straw, is all they +should be allowed. Bulls that are apt to accumulate fat should also be +stinted, else they will soon be useless as stock-getters. After +calving, the cows, to secure a flow of milk, should receive a full +allowance of turnips, but the increase must be gradual, as the cow has +been stinted, or ought to have been, before calving. Before calving, +milk-fever, or dropping after calving, is to be guarded against. I have +three or four cases with only one recovery. I now bleed and physic +every cow two or three days before calving. I stint them in their food +two or three weeks, and have never lost one where this practice was +fully carried out. + +The lean cow is as apt to go down as the fat one. Some think warm +weather is the cause. I believe it has nothing to do with it. The grass +being generally luxuriant in warm weather, and many cows going off in +milk-fever at that season, has led to this error. Milk-fever may, +however, be produced by giving cold water immediately after calving, +&c. Cows may be attacked immediately or in a few hours after calving; +when four or five days have passed, the animal may be considered safe. +There are different causes, no doubt; but bringing a cow from poor +pasture and putting her on a rich and luxuriant one without stint, or +from straw and giving her a full allowance of turnips up to the time of +calving, are two of the greatest predisposing causes. As an example, I +bought a cow in July off a poor pasture and put her on a rich one; as +she was low-priced I did not use the necessary precautions: she went +down in milk-fever. A respected old servant bought a fine polled cow. I +was walking across the field with him, and we came upon his cow. It was +in July, and the grass was very luxuriant. I asked if he had bled the +cow, as she would calve immediately. He said, "No, I have not; and I +never saw them bled except at Tillyfour." To my sorrow and to the man's +heavy loss the cow died of milk-fever. + +Milk-fever is thought by many to be incurable. Mr Sorely, veterinary +surgeon, late of Alford, has been most successful in its treatment; and +if the cows are not very far gone before he is called, he generally +effects a cure. I would recommend those not acquainted with the +treatment of this dreadful calamity to communicate with him. The +symptoms are known by the cow getting restless, lifting her legs and +setting them down again, a wild appearance, and attempting to poke her +keeper: then succeeds a quick motion in the flank; she begins to +stagger, falls, but recovers herself again. This is repeated several +times, till she is at length no longer able to rise. Her head will be +turned to one side; she loses the sense of feeling, and although +pricked with a sharp instrument gives no sign of pain; and if not +relieved, death closes the scene. If the sense of feeling returns, it +is the first sign of recovery. The moment that milk-fever is observed +the veterinary surgeon should be called in. There is little risk with a +heifer with her first calf, and I never bleed or physic a heifer in +calf, because she has not attained her growth. In her case "the +additional nutriment goes to increase of size, instead of becoming the +foundation of disease." + +Red-water is also a very fatal complaint among cows. They generally +take it about the thirteenth or fourteenth day after calving. Many +farms are almost exempt from this disease. It is very fatal, but if +taken in time it can generally be cured; heavy losses are, however, +experienced every year by it. I have only had two or three cases of +red-water, and I do not therefore enlarge upon it. My observation has +led me to believe that the theory of the late Mr Peter Smith, +veterinary surgeon, Alford (who gained the Highland Society's prize for +the best essay on red-water in cows), is correct, that the disease is +generally most prevalent on farms where the land is black and of a +moorish tendency. The veterinary surgeon should be called in +_instanter_. Garget in the udder, or weed, is also to be guarded +against. After calving, some cracks and sores appear in the udder; they +get very troublesome. The teats must be drawn and clean milked out; +blood will sometimes appear with the milk; the cow must be secured, if +necessary, to effect this. The udder should be bathed with warm water, +and well rubbed over with hog's lard, and to this treatment the +complaint will generally yield. The too hastily drying the cow, and +frequent carelessness in not milking clean out, are the general causes +of this complaint. It may, however, assume a more serious aspect; the +milk gets coagulated in the udder, and the result will be the loss for +yielding milk of one, two, or more of the quarters of the udder, if the +proper remedies are not instantly adopted. Mortification sometimes +ensues; diseased portions will break off from the udder, and it may end +in the death of the animal. Putting the calf to suckle the cow will be +useful in effecting a cure; but often the teats become so painful that +the cow will not allow the calf to approach her. I cannot impress too +strongly on the breeder that, as soon as symptoms of garget are +observed, the cow must be firmly secured and the teats properly drawn +three or four times a-day. If this is neglected or inefficiently +performed, the result is scarcely doubtful. Very often there will be +only matter to draw, but it must be withdrawn from time to time as it +collects. The teaching of experience is costly in such a case; and here +the care of honest, intelligent servants is invaluable. + +When the calves are taken from their dams there is the greatest danger +of garget, and this is always an anxious time with the breeder. The +cows must be allowed to go gradually off their milk, the greatest care +being taken to draw the teats once a-day when necessary. The food must +be restricted till the milk disappear; and as some cows that have been +suckled will not allow their teats to be drawn by the hand, the calves +must be put to them once a-day till the milk cease. + +_The proper age for breeding._--The proper age for breeding may +depend upon circumstances, breed, &c.; but, dealing as we are with the +Aberdeen and Angus, I would say that heifers should never be put to the +bull before they are two years old. There is, no doubt, some force in +the argument that by breeding earlier keep is saved; but the answer to +this is that growth is diminished, while calving is attended with +danger. I had six heifers bulled when they were one year old. They had +all difficulty in calving; three of them required assistance, and were +very much torn and lacerated before the calves could be extracted, and +the mothers have never attained the size of the other cows in the herd. +Nor has the argument much force with me that the one-year-old is surer +to stand to the bull than the two-year-old. I maintain that we have +this very much in our own power, and that the two-year-old, with proper +treatment, and at little cost, is as sure to stand to the bull as the +one-year-old, while she will attain to a larger size. The treatment I +adopt with yearling heifers intended for breeding purposes is the +following--and I have seldom or never failed in getting them in calf: +They are not starved to interfere with their growth, but through the +summer, when rising two years old, they are kept on the very worst +grass on the farm, and on the refuse of the grass rejected by the other +cattle, which are removed to fresh pastures. In winter and spring, up +to the time of serving with the bull, they get an average barrowful of +turnips amongst every three, and no more. By this treatment the heifers +will just be fresh, and will stand to the bull as readily as yearlings. +I grant that if you were to put them on luxuriant pasture, and give +them full allowance of turnips through the winter and spring, they +would be fit for the butcher, and not for the bull. The advantages +more than counterbalance the disadvantages. Their parts will be strong +and open, and they will calve with safety; while, on the other hand, +the calving of those served at a year old will always be attended with +difficulty; the parts will often be injured and lacerated, and +mortification of the womb and the death of the animal may follow. + +I need not tell my readers that the bull should not be allowed to go +with the breeding cows or heifers, as the almost universal practice now +is to keep them separate. The advantages of this must be manifest to +every one. The symptoms of coition are so well known, that I shall not +enlarge upon them; but if cows are confined to the house, there are +some shy animals that require the greatest attention to detect them, +while the majority are easily observed by their lowing and agitated +appearance. In the former case the animal will not blare, neither will +there be much difference in her general appearance; but her external +parts will be red, and a transparent liquor will be discharged from the +vagina. Let her be put out with another, which will prove her at once. +In some seasons, although the cows and heifers are in a breeding state, +it is, even with the best management, difficult to get them in calf. +This becomes a source of great annoyance and loss to the breeder. A cow +should never be allowed the bull sooner than five or six weeks after +calving; to do otherwise will prove a failure, and will be detrimental +to the animal. If a cow or heifer should miss to stand to the bull +before the end of May, and the weather get warm, it is difficult to get +them in calf; they may run on for months every two or three weeks. Many +a good breeding animal has been lost in this way, and gone to the +butcher, their owner having despaired of getting them in calf; whereas, +if he had had patience until September or October, when the cold +weather sets in, in all likelihood they would have been got in calf. I +had three cows out of four, that had run on the whole summer, got in +calf in one day. An early spring calf is preferable to a late one, and +most desirable; but my doctrine is, that a good calf never can come +wrong. It is trying to the breeder to see his fine cows running on, but +we must not despair; we must not lose a chance, for we will generally +catch them, and sometimes when we least expect it. When a cow assumes +the appearance of what we term a regular buller--when she is running +every day, or every second or third day, or when one or more retire +from the herd and assume the habits of the male--then, and not till +then, does the case become utterly hopeless. I had two fine cows I was +obliged to quit; they assumed the habits of the male, absented +themselves from the rest of the herd, went through the field lowing, +roaring, and pawing the ground with their feet, their lowing being that +of the male and not of the female, and their shapes and looks were +completely changed. Some friends, in whose opinion I have confidence, +think this disease hereditary. + +I would recommend, when cows and heifers are not standing to the bull, +to give a dose or two of medicine. A change of the bull may succeed; +and leading the cow or heifer six miles out and six miles in, when +coming in heat, will sometimes be effectual. I was led to this practice +by observing that cows or heifers that had run on the whole season up +to the time of exhibition, when put to the bull on their arrival from +the show, were got in calf at once. I naturally concluded that the +exercise which they had undergone was the cure. I adopted the +principle, and have succeeded in several cases, though not in all; and +I know of some other breeders who have also been successful. + +A cow goes nine months with young, generally ten or fourteen days +longer. I have known one go twenty-seven days past her time. They +generally go longer with a bull calf than a heifer. It is almost a sure +sign that all will be right if the cow go past her time; when matters +are wrong the birth is generally premature. Slinking is one of the +greatest pests to which a breeder is subjected. The symptoms are as +follows: a yellow mixed with red, glairy, offensive fluid will be +observed running from the vagina, a flow of milk to the udder, and a +loosening of the couplings behind; in a day or two premature labour +follows. No time is to be lost on these symptoms being observed. The +cow should be immediately removed to a separate apartment, and kept by +herself for two or three weeks. If the premature birth should take +place before the cow is removed, the foetus and after-birth must be +instantly buried, and not only the stall where the cow was standing, +but the whole of the byre should be thoroughly washed over with hot +lime, or chloride of lime. It is well known that if one cow abort, +others are apt to follow. I recollect that almost every cow out of +forty, belonging to the late James Walker, Wester Fintray, aborted. One +half were polled, the other shorthorns. + +When a cow is with calf she has strong sympathetic feelings. The +foetus and after-birth from a cow that has slinked are very +offensive, and if left within reach, the other cows will sniff at it, +and bellow around it; and in a short time more of the cows will abort. +Many reasons have been given as the cause of abortion; from my own +observations, frosty turnips are one great cause, and I never allow my +cows to get these. If I happen to run short of fresh turnips from the +store, and frosty weather continue, I order the cows straw and water, +and perhaps a little cake or corn at the same time. I have paid dearly +for this experience also. I believe hove to be another cause of +abortion; and that particular atmospheric conditions have a good deal +to do with it. The skilful veterinary surgeon should be consulted; he +will probably recommend physic to cool the system, the foetus and +placenta to be buried, the animal separated, and the cow-house +disinfected. The cow should be fattened and sold, unless she be a very +valuable breeding animal, as the chances are that she will slink again. +I have indeed seen a cow, after slinking, breed regularly for many +years; but the sure way is to get quit of her to the butcher, if she is +not a valuable breeding animal. + +I have explained, under the head of Milk-Fever, the treatment previous +to calving; I shall add that a cow ought to be let dry six weeks at +least before calving. It is well known that a cow that is milked up to +the time of calving proves very deficient as a milker for the season, +even although she had formerly been a good one. It prevents improvement +of condition; and from a very lean cow there is not much to be +expected. + +As to natural labour a very few remarks will suffice. The cow should be +disturbed as little as possible, and no assistance rendered where it is +not necessary. When the water-bag comes away, the hand should be +introduced to ascertain whether the calf is coming the right way; its +fore-legs protruding to the passage, and its head lying upon them or a +little between them, is the natural position when all is right. We must +have patience, and, if possible, allow nature to effect its object; but +if six or eight hours shall have passed, assistance must be given. In +my practice I have observed that when the water-bag comes away in the +early stages the labour is protracted. I have seen many +tail-presentations, but I have found them easily dealt with by pushing +back the hind-quarters and getting hold of the feet; pushing backwards, +forwards, and upwards the hind-legs, and bringing them to the level of +the passage, the calf will be easily extracted. In unnatural labour the +veterinary surgeon should be immediately called in. Skellet 'On the +Parturition of the Cow' is the most valuable authority I am acquainted +with on unnatural labour, but I fear it is out of print. + +A word here as to free-martins. When a cow produces two calves, the one +a male and the other a female, the female is called a free-martin. The +almost universal belief is, that the free-martin will not breed; and +generally this holds good. I have had, however, in my practice two +free-martins that have bred. One of them proved one of the most useful +animals and best breeders in the herd, and produced some of my finest +females; but her own appearance lacked that female style which shows +itself in a high-bred herd. + +And here I may remark that those who act as judges at our cattle-shows, +if they are judging males, ought to judge them as males and not as +females; and if they are judging females, they ought to judge them as +females and not as males. Some may understand what I mean. As I +consider it one of the most important qualifications in a judge to have +the discernment I refer to, and as many are appointed judges, even at +our national shows, _who never should have been appointed, and many +act who never should act_, it ought to be put out of all doubt. As +an example, when a bull shows the head of a female and a want of +masculine character, he should be rejected. Masculine character in the +bull is of the greatest importance to the success of the +breeder--effeminacy in the male must be shunned as the most deadly +poison. On the other hand, let that female be rejected by the judge in +the show-yard, and by the breeder in his selection, that looks as much +like a male as a female. However long she may have been kept up for +show-yard purposes, or whatever enormous quantity of beef she may have +put on, if she have the head of the ox (I do not say of the bull, +because I have never seen a female so characterised) she must be put +aside, unless very superior in other respects. Such animals will seldom +pass muster with the first-class judge, but _even he must be upon his +guard_. I have often seen great blunders committed, especially with +heifers, the owner of which may, for the sake of winning the prize, +have fed them for years without hope of propagation. I have seen them +carry the prize to the exclusion of the really useful breeding animal, +and when the show was over they were sold to the butcher. I would not +propose any rule to be laid down to exclude animals from our +exhibitions on account of their condition, because the proper amount of +flesh can never be satisfactorily settled; nor can it be definitely +fixed when an animal should be excluded as being too fat for breeding. +The experiment was tried at some of our national shows, but utterly +failed, as the jury could not agree. The rules of the Highland Society +are good so far as they go--viz., that unless the owner of cows that +have not had a calf in the year of the exhibition, and of the +two-year-old heifers that have been awarded prizes, can certify that +the animals have had a calf--the cows in four months and the heifers in +nine after the exhibition--the money prize will be withheld. But this +does not cover the difficulty, as the prize-money is of secondary +importance to the majority of exhibitors--being first on the prize-list +is their main ambition; but, I believe, it is all that rules can reach. +The only safeguard lies with the council and the directors--and the +strong moral force of the exhibitors ought to be brought to bear upon +them--of our national and local cattle-shows. They ought to appoint no +one, however highly connected, unless he is _acknowledged a judge by +the exhibitors of the class of stock to which he is appointed_. If +the right man be put in the right place, there will seldom be cause to +complain of overfed useless breeding animals gaining the prizes; but if +ignorant forward men are appointed, you are certain to see the fattest +animals at the top of the prize-list. At one of our great shows the +same judges were appointed for cattle and sheep;--they were +unexceptional judges of cattle, but knew very little about +breeding-sheep. There were two pens of breeding-ewes in competition: +one of the pens was from a first-class stock of sheep, but from hill +pasture; the other was from a jobber, who had selected them from the +common sheep in the country, but had grazed them with the cows on the +farm, and they were in high condition--they wanted style and breeding. +The judges were hesitating as to which of the pens the prize should be +awarded to, when one of them exclaimed, "Stop, stop; let me in o'er +till I handle them!"--an Aberdeen man likes something that will handle, +whether ox or sheep. He went, and after he had performed the handling +proof, which required little time and less skill, "Ah!" he exclaimed, +pointing to the fat ewes, "that's the sheep!" and the ticket was fixed +accordingly. This anecdote was related to me by the owner of the fat +ewes, who was present. + +No butcher, except he be well acquainted with the treatment of a +breeding stock, ought to be a judge of breeding animals. With fat stock +one of the judges ought always to be a first-class butcher. + +In natural labour the after-birth generally comes away soon after +calving. Many remove it immediately; this, however, should never be +allowed, as the cow will chew it greedily, and it acts as physic to +her. If the after-birth should be retained, as it generally is in cases +of premature labour, this need cause little alarm to the owner. I have +never seen any danger from allowing it to remain, and I prefer letting +it alone, as it will rot away of itself, to the danger of tearing it +away; but the cow should be removed from the others. I believe the +opinion to be erroneous that there is danger from the after-birth being +retained for any moderate length of time; but the womb itself will +sometimes follow the calf, and this requires prompt treatment. I have +known of its being successfully returned without the aid of the +veterinary surgeon, but this should never be attempted by an +unpractised hand if you can command the surgeon's attendance. It is a +very common occurrence that two or three months before calving the +vagina protrudes when the cow is lying: when this occurs she should be +kept well up behind, else it may bring on premature calving. When the +cow calves the danger is over. + +If the calf is to be milked from the hand it should be taken from the +cow as soon as it is dropt, and before the mother sees it; if allowed +to remain with the cow for some time and then removed, it will be a +cause of great irritation to the mother and very prejudicial to her +milking. When it is to be suckled, the calf should be left quietly with +the cow: and by licking the calf and eating the placenta the cow will +be settled, the calf will get to its legs, and all may be expected to +be right. A warm drink should be given--cold water must be avoided--and +the cow made comfortable. She should be milked out after first +suckling, and this will require to be repeated two or three times a-day +for a few weeks, until the calf is able, and can with safety be +allowed, to take all the milk. In a day or two after the calf is dropt +it ought to be muzzled, and allowed a limited time to suckle the mother +three times a-day. It must not be allowed a full allowance for the +first fourteen days after birth. A confidential servant must remove the +muzzle, stand beside the calf until it has taken a safe allowance, and +then return the muzzle. When the calf has got the cud, which will be +observed about fourteen days after its birth, it will then be safe to +remove the muzzle. I muzzle all my calves, to prevent them from eating +straw, hair, &c, which they cannot digest, and which accumulate in the +stomach and prove the death of the animal. Many thousand calves are +lost in this way, the owner never suspecting the cause. If the calf is +opened up after death, there will be found in the stomach a large, +firm, round ball composed of straw, hair, and other substances, with +knots of curdled milk conjoined. After the calf has got the cud, and is +fourteen days old, it may be allowed to suck at pleasure. It must be +seen, however, that the calf has ability to clean out the udder of the +cow; if part of the milk is retained, the cow must be milked by the +hand. + +Plenty of good milk is the proper foundation to make a good animal; if +stinted when a calf, a year's growth is lost. Selling a great deal of +butter and rearing a good bullock are incompatible. Many good calves +are milked from the pail, and they thrive better after they are weaned; +but it will generally be found that the sure way to make first-class +calves is to allow them to suckle. There will be many drawbacks at the +expense of the calf if it is brought up from the pail; drafts will be +required by the housekeeper for milk, butter, and cheese for the +family, which cannot be made if the calf is suckled by the mother in +the field. The plan adopted by some of giving skimmed milk to the calf +cannot be too much reprobated; and to give old milk to a new-dropt calf +is perfectly preposterous: it is unnatural, and will probably prove the +death of the calf. + +The calf should be allowed to suckle or be fed from the pail for six or +eight months. It has then strength to stand weaning, and, if properly +cared for, will not be checked in its growth, and it will retain the +good calf-flesh it has put on. The loss of the calf-flesh cannot be +remedied, and great care should be taken to avoid this. If the +calf-flesh is lost the animal will be reduced in value, and can never +be made to yield first-class meat. Great care, therefore, must be taken +by the breeder when his calves are weaned. + +To guard against Black-leg, the calves should be immediately corded in +the dewlap,[8] and receive, along with other nourishing food, each +1-1/2 lb. of oilcake a-day. This treatment is absolutely necessary +during their first winter. The open strawyard for calves is of great +importance. If they are kept regularly growing on, black-leg will be +prevented. While proper treatment is adopted, there will be little to +fear from that dreadful scourge. + + [8] I have been accused of cruelty for cording the dewlaps of my + calves. The pain must be of short duration, as it is done by a + sharp instrument in a moment. + +I have never lost more than two of my breeding stock from Quarter-ill. +There is no question that the cause of this dreadful malady is sudden +transition from a restricted diet to a full and nutritious one, from a +poor pasture to a rich and luxuriant one, or from a poor pasture in +autumn to a full allowance of turnips; the increase of blood on the +system is so great that the constitution cannot stand it. I have seen +almost every calf on several large farms carried off by black-leg. +There is no secret as to its prevention. Keep the young calf gradually +growing, never let him want; give 1 to 2 lb. of oilcake a-day; and keep +up the irritation by cords with a good hold of the dewlap. After the +first winter, black-leg is little to be feared. I have had a case or +two in two or three year olds, but it is very uncommon. Prevention is +the only safeguard, for I have never seen black-leg cured. To some 1 to +2 lb. of oilcake a-day may look an expense that the calves cannot +repay; but if any of my friends will divide a lot of their calves, and +give the one lot turnips and straw, and the other turnips, straw, and 1 +to 2 lb. of oilcake daily to each calf, if they are dissatisfied with +the result on the 1st of May I shall pay the balance. I shall not enter +upon the point of the great additional value of the manure, but leave +that to the chemist. + +I allow my calves to suckle till October, and the late ones two or +three months longer. Butter and even corn are but secondary to our +cattle, and in these days of progression we must advance with the times +or go down. + +As to Navel-ill, much has been written on the deadliness of the +complaint. I have never had any loss from it. Diarrhoea is a very +common complaint with calves, and I have lost one or two by it, but, I +believe, owing to carelessness. It will generally yield to a dose or +two of castor-oil. The Knee-ill is more to be dreaded. The complaint is +worse some seasons than others, and some, under the best treatment, +will die. The calf gets down and is unable to rise; on examination it +will be found that one or both, generally of the fore-legs, are very +much swollen at the joints; the calf is very much pained, especially if +moved, and the disease acts very much like rheumatic fever on the human +body. I cannot assign any cause for this disease, as I have seen calves +seized with it that were kept warm and comfortable. In some cases it +may be attributed to some particular atmospheric influence. It is very +difficult to remove. The calf will be down for weeks, and in some cases +they never get up. Very little can be done for them, and any treatment +I have seen adopted is of small value. Rubbing turpentine daily into +the swollen joints is useful, but attention to the general health is of +the greatest consequence--such as counteracting costiveness in the +bowels, &c. I have seen splints of wood introduced, and also tying out +the leg with bandages; but I have no great faith in any such treatment. +Rubbing daily with turpentine, and attention to the general health, is +all I can recommend. Costiveness of the bowels, if not counteracted, +may end in serious consequences. I had a case of a calf that got very +costive--so bad that it moaned dreadfully from pain. I lost all hope of +saving it. I thought of injections, and had them administered +repeatedly for hours; to my astonishment the calf recovered and did +well. Castor-oil is the safest medicine for calves. Let me here record +an observation for which I am indebted to Mr Sorely, late veterinary +surgeon, Alford. (While I have seen some with as good hands as Mr +Sorely, I have never had the fortune to meet another with as clear a +head.) The first question he asks when told that a calf is ailing, is, +"How old is it?" If the calf is very young, and violently ill of any +complaint, the great chance is, that it will not recover; whereas, if +it be three weeks, and, still more, two or three months old, the +probability is that it will. + +As to the castration of calves, it is such a simple process that it is +unnecessary to say much on the subject. The only thing I would +recommend is, that the breeder, if he does not castrate his calves +himself, should not allow the operator to cut away any part of the +purse, as it should be recollected a good purse in the London market +will be the next criterion to the butcher after the flank, and a good +purse is always worth L1 to a bullock in London. If the purse should +get much swelled after castration, warm fomentations should be applied +two or three times a-day, or even a poultice if the case be very bad. +If there is an accumulation of pus, it may be necessary to puncture the +purse, and the animal will soon be relieved. + +Rheumatism, I have no doubt, is hereditary. I have seen it in the +fourth generation; little, if anything, can be done for it. At certain +seasons of the year it will appear, and wear off again. Howk is perhaps +the complaint to which my cattle are most liable. I have repeated cases +of it every year. The animal is observed to be stiff and staring in his +coat, eats little, and, as the disease advances, retires from the rest +of herd. When taken up, his skin along the back will be found adhering +to the flesh, and if pressed on the spine he will nearly crouch to the +ground. If a hold is taken of the skin--which is very difficult to +accomplish--and it is lifted from the flesh, when let go it will give a +crack similar to the sound that follows when you give a knock to the +common corn-basket. This is a never-failing symptom. I treat the +complaint very successfully with doses of salts and sulphur. If the +animal is taken up in the early stages of the disease, the skin may +only be adhering to a part behind the shoulder-blade; but in a day or +two the adhesion will be found to extend along the whole of the spine; +or, _vice versa_, it may begin across the kidneys and go forward +to the shoulder-blade. I regard indigestion as the cause, and some +cattle take it in particular fields worse than others. Diseases of the +tongue are rare: I have had some half-dozen cases. A cure is utterly +hopeless, and the animal should be sent to the butcher without delay. +When examined, the root of the tongue, or one side of it, will be found +very much inflamed, and warts will also generally be observed. The +animal will be found frothing at the mouth in the field; and if in the +stall, a great deal of frothy matter will be seen before him. I never +knew one recover, and I have attempted all sorts of treatment. + +Foul in the foot is very serious when it gets into a lot of heavy +feeding cattle in winter; the loss it entails is sometimes very heavy. +It assumes several phases. If there be but a crack between the claws +without swelling, it is easily managed. The old plan of taking a +hair-rope and drawing it several times through is very good practice, +and with a little caustic applied, a cure is soon effected. There is +another form of the disease more difficult to treat: there is the great +swelling between the claws; it becomes a hard substance and very +painful; the animal gets feverish and is scarcely able to rise, and if +got up holds out the afflicted leg. He is off his food, and sinks +rapidly in condition; and the pain is excruciating. I apply a +succession of poultices, and when the lump breaks the danger is over: +tow and tar are then applied to the sore, a cotton bandage put on +between the claws of sufficient length to secure the application, and +the ends made fast by a woollen garter cut from an old stocking. If the +disease is neglected the consequences may be fatal; it is worst in +winter when cattle are at the feeding-stall. I regard it as infectious. +If it get into a byre of weighty fat cattle the loss will be heavy. I +have seen a bullock drop in value L3, L4, or even L5; and several +animals lost by carelessness. I had a bullock out upon turnips, which +had been neglected, and was pronounced by my veterinary surgeon +incurable. + +As to Foot-and-mouth disease, it is a light matter among stirks and +lean cattle--they will be little if any the worse of it; but it is very +serious amongst heavy feeding cattle and milch cows. If fat cattle are +attacked, they should have their turnips sliced, with crushed oilcake +and meal. There is no treatment of any avail in the fever stages. When +the fever is gone, there will be a beast or two out of a lot whose feet +will require attention. The horn of the hoof gets loosened from the +flesh. The animal may require to be thrown and the dead horn cut away. +It must be remembered that it will never attach itself again. The +veterinary surgeon should generally perform the operation, unless the +owner is skilful himself. Cows require great attention. The disease +seats itself in their udders, and unless they are most carefully milked +out they may be rendered useless as milkers--losing one, two, or even +all the quarters of the udder. The foot-and-mouth disease is very +infectious. I recollect having carried it home from a neighbouring +farm, by merely handling a bull which was down with the disease. I came +straight home and handled the first beast opposite the door in one of +my own byres; in three days he was seized with the complaint; and in +two or three days thereafter nearly every beast through the steading +was down with it. Out of forty fat cattle thirty-eight had it, only two +escaping. Upon inquiry I found that one of them had had it before. I +lost from L4 to L5 of condition on an average off every one of the +thirty-eight. From the same farm and at the same time a veterinary +surgeon had been called in. He went straight to another farm six miles +distant, and in a few days every animal there was seized with the same +complaint. It is the general belief that an animal will not take the +foot-and-mouth disease twice. This is a mistake. I have a cow that took +it twice, but there were seven years between the attacks. + +I have had the Lung disease on two farms; all known treatment is +unsatisfactory. I believe, if the attack be violent, no treatment will +save the animal. It is sometimes difficult to know it at first. There +will generally be a cough, but it is not the clear cough of the animal +in health. It is compressed, and the animal coughs unwillingly and with +evident pain. The particular cough cannot be mistaken, and the grunt is +a never-failing symptom. There is generally one lung more affected than +the other. The ear being applied to the chest will discover the impeded +circulation. Many cattle take the disease so slightly that it is never +discovered. Some have little if any cough, and the pile continues soft +and healthy. I recollect a milking cow which I was suspicious had the +disease. I made her be run out; there was no acceleration of breathing; +her coat was fine, and there was no diminution of the milk; but she +gave a grunt which confirmed me in my opinion that she had had a slight +touch of the complaint. The grieve, a most intelligent man, was +satisfied that the cow was healthy. I fattened her, and for my own +information had her slaughtered at home. It was three months after, and +the _post-mortem_ examination showed one of the lungs, to the +extent of about the size of a crown-piece, adhering to the ribs--a +sufficient proof that my conjecture was correct. Many take the disease +that are never suspected. I had a bullock showing some symptoms of the +disease in a byre amongst ten. The others were, to all appearance, in +perfect health. I sent them immediately to London. My salesman was +instructed to inspect the carcasses after they were slaughtered, and to +report. He did so carefully, and there was not one of the number but +had their lungs more or less affected. Mr Collie, Ardgay, Morayshire, +had a byre of cattle slaughtered under the same circumstances, and with +the very same result. Pleuro-pneumonia is not so infectious as +foot-and-mouth disease, but if it get into a farm-steading it is most +difficult to get clear of. I have known cattle infected in three days. +I had bought a lot of cattle from a farm in Morayshire where the +disease has never been up to this hour. It was in the month of April. +There were two or three of the lot that I did not think profitable to +graze. I tied them in a byre where infected cattle had stood. They were +only to be kept a week or two, and I had no idea of danger. One of them +took the disease very badly in three days after he was tied up. I have +known it lie dormant in the system (as to any visible appearance) for +three months and a half. I found the general period of incubation from +five to six weeks. I have taken the greatest pains with the byres where +the infected cattle stood, having the wood-work taken out, the roofs +and greeps carefully scraped and washed with soap and warm water, +lime-water, and afterwards with chloride of lime; and yet, after all +this labour, I have seen the disease break out again and again. After +repeated outbreaks, I not only removed the wood-work, but the whole of +the stones in the stalls and greeps, and buried them. I had the roofs +and stone mangers, &c., carefully scraped, and washed with soap and +warm water, and afterwards with chloride of lime. They were then +closely painted, and lastly coal-tarred; but it was only after five or +six months' perseverance that I got clear of it. Having heard a report +that a cow belonging to my cousin, Mr M'Combie, editor of the 'Free +Press,' was labouring under pleuro-pneumonia, I went to see her. Mr +Sorely, veterinary surgeon, was in attendance. As there had been no +disease in the neighbourhood for five years, I was unwilling to credit +the report. But a more marked case I have never witnessed; and the +_post-mortem_ examination showed all the symptoms of the fell +disease. Mr Sorely, Mr M'Combie's overseer, and I, all agreed that as a +wood dividing-partition had been allowed to remain since the time of +the previous infection, and the cow was seen chewing pieces of the wood +that had got rotted at the base, the wood had retained the poison, and +the cow had been infected from the chewing of it. The breath is the +cause of the infection when cattle are housed together and the disease +introduced. It generally attacks the animals standing at the walls +first. The breath is driven by different currents through the building +to the walls, where it is stopped; it rebounds, and hence the beasts at +the walls generally fall the first victims--so, at least, I have found +it in my experience. I had forty beasts divided by a stone-and-lime +mid-wall to the level of the side-walls; up to the roof there was a +strong and close division of wood. Unfortunately there had been a small +aperture about two feet square left open. I made an observation to the +cattleman that I should not be at all surprised if the disease came +from the infected byre through the opening to the byre where the cattle +were sound. The first or second day thereafter the animal standing +below the aperture was seized, and got down in the disease. + +In treatment I have no confidence, having tried everything that could +be tried and completely failed. I would, however, recommend that +neither hay nor straw be given to animals labouring under the disease. +I lost a valuable bull, after he was recovering, from this cause. He +was allowed to eat too freely of hay, which he could not masticate; and +when opened after death, an ordinary bucketful of hay was found in his +stomach, as dry as when it was eaten. I have come to the conclusion +that no animal should be allowed hay or straw while unable properly to +masticate its food. It is well ascertained that when the poison is +lying dormant in an animal, it will infect the other cattle before it +is visible in itself. As a confirmation of this fact, I had a sale of +breeding stock after the Dumfries show, on Thursday, 30th August 1860. +The cattle seemed to be in perfect health on the day of the sale; about +three-fourths of them were removed on Friday. The day following--viz., +Saturday--a cow was taken ill. I entertained fears that it might turn +out pleuro-pneumonia; and circulars were sent to the parties who had +removed their cattle. The buyers isolated the cattle bought at the sale +from their own stock. Two of the beasts that had been removed died, +other two took the complaint and recovered; but fortunately it did not +spread amongst the buyers other stock. The cow first taken ill +recovered, and another that was left over took the disease and +recovered. But, further, a bull was withdrawn from the sale and sent +home to Tillyfour from Dorsell the night of the sale, to all appearance +in perfect health, though he afterwards died of the disease. He was +watered at a watering-place on the roadside, where a crofter's cattle +watered daily. The crofter's cattle went down in the disease, and one +of them died. Many were the weary days and restless nights I endured +when the disease got fairly developed through two of my largest +steadings. It is in such cases that the value of a clear-headed +veterinary surgeon is appreciated. I would not be well away from one +steading, when a messenger would meet me with intelligence of some +disaster at the other. I had many beasts being fed on other farms as +well as those on my own--not fewer than 400 one way or other. I have +said how much I am indebted in such emergencies to the advice and +counsel of a clear-headed veterinary surgeon. The disease was in the +midst of my breeding stock, and two or three had succumbed to it. Mr +Sorely and I were brooding over this state of matters, when I asked him +whether he could do anything to save the herd. He said, "I will think +over it till to-morrow." He came on the morrow, and seven successive +evenings, and administered to each animal a drench, and he would trust +no one but himself to do it. I believe there were three changes of +medicine; not one animal which got the medicine took the disease, +although they had been standing in the midst of it. There was one +worthless old milk cow amongst the others, that I did not think worth +the trouble of giving the medicine to; she took the disease, and was +fed with gruel for fourteen days, and recovered, while the others +continued in perfect health. + +I have related the diseases that are of a local character, as they have +come under my own notice, without any desire to set myself up as an +authority. My experience has led me to differ in many respects from +eminent authorities. I have merely stated my own experiences during a +lifetime that has been devoted to the management of cattle; they are +written with no view of superseding the valuable assistance of the +veterinary surgeon; but every farmer ought to know and be able to treat +the local diseases incident in his neighbourhood which are not of a +dangerous character. 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In 1 + vol. crown 8vo, 4s. cloth. + + +_ESSAYS, CRITICAL AND IMAGINATIVE._ + By Professor WILSON. 4 vols. crown 8vo, 16s. + + +_TONY BUTLER._ +5482 + +_THE BOOK-HUNTER, ETC._ + By JOHN HILL BURTON. New Edition. In crown 8vo, 7s. 6d. + + "A book pleasant to look at and pleasant to read--pleasant from its + rich store of anecdote, its geniality, and its humour, even to + persons who care little for the subjects of which it treats, but + beyond measure delightful to those who are in any degree members of + the above-mentioned fraternity."--_Saturday Review._ + + "We have not been more amused for a long time: and every reader who + takes interest in typography and its consequences will say the + same, if he will begin to read; beginning, he will finish, and be + sorry when it is over."--_Athenaeum._ + + "Mr Burton has now given us a pleasant book, full of quaint + anecdote, and of a lively bookish talk. There is a quiet humour in + it which is very taking, and there is a curious knowledge of books + which is really very sound."--_Examiner._ + + +_HOMER AND HIS TRANSLATORS_, + And the Greek Drama. By Professor WILSON. Crown 8vo, 6s. + + "But of all the criticisms on Homer which I have ever had the good + fortune to read, in our own or any language, the most vivid and + entirely genial are those found in the 'Essays, Critical and + Imaginative,' of the late Professor Wilson."--_Mr Gladstone's + Studies on Homer._ + + +_THE SKETCHER._ + By the REV. JOHN EAGLES. Originally published in 'Blackwood's + Magazine.' 8vo, 10s. 6d. + + "This volume, called by the appropriate name of 'The Sketcher,' is + one that ought to be found in the studio of every English + landscape-painter.... More instructive and suggestive readings for + young artists, especially landscape-painters, can scarcely be + found."--_The Globe._ + + +_ESSAYS._ + By the REV. JOHN EAGLES, A.M. Oxon. Originally published in + 'Blackwood's Magazine.' Post 8vo, 10s. 6d. + + CONTENTS:--Church Music, and other Parochials.--Medical Attendance, + and other Parochials.--A few Hours at Hampton Court.--Grandfathers + and Grandchildren.--Sitting for a Portrait.--Are there not Great + Boasters among us?--Temperance and Teetotal Societies.--Thackeray's + Lectures: Swift.--The Crystal Palace.--Civilisation: The Census.--The + Beggar's Legacy. + + +_ESSAYS; HISTORICAL, POLITICAL, AND MISCELLANEOUS._ + By SIR ARCHIBALD ALISON, Bart., D.C.L. Three vols., demy 8vo, 45s. + + +_LECTURES ON THE POETICAL LITERATURE OF THE PAST HALF-CENTURY._ + By D. M. MOIR. Third Edition. Fcap. 8vo, 5s. + + "Exquisite in its taste and generous in its criticisms."--_Hugh + Miller._ + + +_LECTURES ON THE HISTORY OF LITERATURE_, + Ancient and Modern. From the German of F. SCHLEGEL. Fcap., 5s. + + "A wonderful performance--better than anything we as yet have in + our own language."--_Quarterly Review._ + + +_THE GENIUS OF HANDEL_, + And the distinctive Character of his Sacred Compositions. Two + Lectures. Delivered to the Members of the Edinburgh Philosophical + Institution. By the VERY REV. DEAN RAMSAY, Author of 'Reminiscences + of Scottish Life and Character.' In crown 8vo, 3s. 6d. + + +_BLACKWOOD'S MAGAZINE_, + From Commencement in 1817 to December 1861. Numbers 1 to 554, forming + 90 Volumes. L31, 10s. + + +_INDEX TO THE FIRST FIFTY VOLUMES OF BLACKWOOD'S MAGAZINE._ + 8vo, 15s. + + +_LAYS OF THE SCOTTISH CAVALIERS_, + And other Poems. By W. EDMONDSTOUNE AYTOUN, D.C.L., Professor of + Rhetoric and English Literature in the University of Edinburgh. + Twentieth Edition. Fcap. 8vo, 7s. 6d. + + "Professor Aytoun's 'Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers'--a volume of + verse which shows that Scotland has yet a poet. Full of the true + fire, it now stirs and swells like a trumpet-note--now sinks in + cadences sad and wild as the wail of a Highland + dirge."--_Quarterly Review._ + + +_BOTHWELL: A POEM._ + By W. EDMONDSTOUNE AYTOUN, D.C.L. Third Edition. Fcap. 8vo, 7s. 6d. + + "Professor Aytoun has produced a fine poem and an able argument, + and 'Bothwell' will assuredly take its stand among the classics of + Scottish literature."--_The Press._ + + +_THE BALLADS OF SCOTLAND._ + Edited by Professor AYTOUN. Third Edition. 2 vols. fcap. 8vo, 12s. + + "No country can boast of a richer collection of Ballads than + Scotland, and no Editor for these Ballads could be found more + accomplished than Professor Aytoun. He has sent forth two beautiful + volumes which range with 'Percy's Reliques'--which, for + completeness and accuracy, leave little to be desired--which must + henceforth be considered as the standard edition of the Scottish + Ballads, and which we commend as a model to any among ourselves who + may think of doing like service to the English + Ballads."--_Times._ + + +_POEMS AND BALLADS OF GOETHE._ + Translated by Professor AYTOUN and THEODORE MARTIN. Second Edition. + Fcap. 8vo, 6s. + + "There is no doubt that these are the best translations of Goethe's + marvellously-cut gems which have yet been published."--_Times._ + + +_THE BOOK OF BALLADS._ + Edited by BON GAULTIER. Tenth Edition, with numerous Illustrations by + DOYLE, LEECH, and CROWQUILL. Gilt edges, post 8vo, 8s. 6d. + + +_FIRMILIAN; OR, THE STUDENT OF BADAJOS._ + A Spasmodic Tragedy. By T. PERCY JONES. In small 8vo, 5s. + + "Humour of a kind most rare at all times, and especially in the + present day, runs through every page, and passages of true poetry + and delicious versification prevent the continual play of sarcasm + from becoming tedious."--_Literary Gazette._ + + +_POETICAL WORKS OF THOMAS AIRD._ + Fourth Edition. In 1 vol. fcap. 8vo, 6s. + + +_POEMS._ + By the LADY FLORA HASTINGS. Edited by her SISTER. Second Edition, + with a Portrait. Fcap., 7s. 6d. + + +_THE POEMS OF FELICIA HEMANS._ + Complete in 1 vol. royal 8vo, with Portrait by FINDEN. Cheap Edition, + 12s. 6d. _Another Edition_, with MEMOIR by her SISTER. Seven vols. + fcap., 35s. _Another Edition_, Six vols. bound in Three, cloth, 12s. + 6d. + + The following Works of Mrs. HEMANS are sold separately, bound in + cloth, gilt edges, 4s. each:-- + + RECORDS OF WOMAN. FOREST SANCTUARY. SONGS OF THE AFFECTIONS. DRAMATIC + WORKS. TALES AND HISTORIC SCENES. MORAL AND RELIGIOUS POEMS. + + +_THE ODYSSEY AND ILIAD OF HOMER._ + Translated into English Verse in the Spenserian Stanza. By PHILIP + STANHOPE WORSLEY, M.A., and Professor CONINGTON. 4 vols., crown 8vo, + L1, 19s. + + "Mr Worsley,--applying the Spenserian stanza, that beautiful + romantic measure, to the most romantic poem of the ancient + world--making the stanza yield him, too (what it never yielded to + Byron), its treasures of fluidity and sweet ease--above all, + bringing to his task a truly poetical sense and skill,--has + produced a version of the 'Odyssey' much the most pleasing of those + hitherto produced, and which is delightful to read."--_Professor + Arnold on Translating Homer._ + + +_POEMS AND TRANSLATIONS._ + By PHILIP STANHOPE WORSLEY, M.A., Scholar of Corpus Christi College, + Oxford. Fcap. 8vo, 5s. + + +_POEMS._ + By ISA. In small 8vo, 4s. 6d. + + +_POETICAL WORKS OF D. M. MOIR._ + With Portrait, and Memoir by THOMAS AIRD. Second Edition. 2 vols. + fcap. 8vo, 12s. + + +_LECTURES ON THE POETICAL LITERATURE OF THE PAST HALF-CENTURY._ + By D. M. MOIR ([Greek: D]). Second Edition. Fcap. 8vo, 5s. + + "A delightful volume."--_Morning Chronicle._ + + "Exquisite in its taste and generous in its criticisms."--_Hugh + Miller._ + + +_THE COURSE OF TIME: A POEM._ + By ROBERT POLLOK, A.M. Twenty-fifth Edition. Fcap. 8vo, 3s. 6d. + + "Of deep and hallowed impress, full of noble thoughts and graphic + conceptions--the production of a mind alive to the great relations + of being, and the sublime simplicity of our + religion."--_Blackwood's Magazine._ + + +_AN ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF THE COURSE OF TIME._ + In large 8vo, bound in cloth, richly gilt, 21s. + + "There has been no modern poem in the English language, of the + class to which the 'Course of Time' belongs, since Milton wrote, + that can be compared to it. In the present instance the artistic + talents of Messrs FOSTER, CLAYTON, TENNIEL, EVANS, DALZIEL, GREEN, + and WOODS, have been employed in giving expression to the sublimity + of the language, by equally exquisite illustrations, all of which + are of the highest class."--_Bell's Messenger._ + + +_POEMS AND BALLADS OF SCHILLER._ + Translated by Sir EDWARD BULWER LYTTON, Bart. Second Edition. 8vo, + 10s. 6d. + + +_ST STEPHEN'S_; + Or, Illustrations of Parliamentary Oratory. A Poem. _Comprising_. + Pym. Vane. Strafford. Halifax. Shaftesbury. St John. Sir R. Walpole. + Chesterfield. Carteret. Chatham. Pitt. Fox. Burke. Sheridan. + Wilberforce. Wyndham. Conway. Castlereagh. William Lamb (Lord + Melbourne). Tierney. Lord Grey. O'Connell. Plunkett. Shiel. Follett. + Macaulay. Peel. Second Edition. Crown 8vo, 5s. + + +_LEGENDS, LYRICS, AND OTHER POEMS._ + By B. SIMMONS. Fcap., 7s. 6d. + + +_SIR WILLIAM CRICHTON--ATHELWOLD--GUIDONE_: + Dramas by WILLIAM SMITH, Author of 'Thorndale,' &c. 32mo, 2s. 6d. + + +_THE BIRTHDAY, AND OTHER POEMS._ + By MRS SOUTHEY. Second Edition, 5s. + + +_ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE LYRIC POETRY AND MUSIC OF SCOTLAND._ + By WILLIAM STENHOUSE. Originally compiled to accompany the 'Scots + Musical Museum,' and now published separately, with Additional Notes + and Illustrations. 8vo, 7s. 6d. + + +_PROFESSOR WILSON'S POEMS._ + Containing the 'Isle of Palms,' the 'City of the Plague,' 'Unimore,' + and other Poems. Complete Edition. Crown 8vo, 4s. + + +_POEMS AND SONGS._ + By DAVID WINGATE. Second Edition. Fcap. 8vo, 5s. + + "We are delighted to welcome into the brotherhood of real + poets a countryman of Burns, and whose verse will go far to + render the rougher Border Scottish a classic dialect in our + literature."--_John Bull._ + + +_THE PHYSICAL ATLAS OF NATURAL PHENOMENA._ + By ALEXANDER KEITH JOHNSTON, F.R.S.E., &c., Geographer to the Queen + for Scotland. A New and Enlarged Edition, consisting of 35 Folio + Plates, and 27 smaller ones, printed in Colours, with 135 pages of + Letterpress, and Index. Imperial folio, half-bound morocco, L8, 8s. + + "A perfect treasure of compressed information."--_Sir John + Herschel._ + + +_THE PHYSICAL ATLAS._ + By ALEXANDER KEITH JOHNSTON, F.R.S.E., &c. Reduced from the Imperial + Folio. This Edition contains Twenty-five Maps, including a + Palaeontological and Geological Map of the British Islands, with + Descriptive Letterpress, and a very copious Index. In imperial 4to, + half-hound morocco, L2, 12s. 6d. + + "Executed with remarkable care, and is as accurate, and, for all + educational purposes, as valuable, as the splendid large work (by + the same author) which has now a European reputation."--_Eclectic + Review._ + + +_A GEOLOGICAL MAP OF EUROPE._ + By SIR R. I. MURCHISON, D.C.L., F.R.S., &c., Director-General of the + Geological Survey of Great Britain and Ireland; and JAMES NICOL, + F.R.S.E., F.G.S., Professor of Natural History in the University of + Aberdeen. Constructed by ALEXANDER KEITH JOHNSTON, F.R.S.E., &c. Four + Sheets imperial, beautifully printed in Colours. In Sheets, L3, 3s.; + in a Cloth Case, 4to, L3, 10s. + + +_GEOLOGICAL AND PALAEONTOLOGICAL MAP OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS_, + including Tables of the Fossils of the different Epochs, &c. &c., + from the Sketches and Notes of Professor EDWARD FORBES. With + Illustrative and Explanatory Letterpress. 21s. + + +_GEOLOGICAL MAP OF SCOTLAND._ + By JAMES NICOL, F.R.S.E., &c., Professor of Natural History in the + University of Aberdeen. With Explanatory Notes. The Topography by + ALEXANDER KEITH JOHNSTON, F.R.S.E., &c. Scale, 10 miles to an inch. + In Cloth Case, 21s. + + +_INTRODUCTORY TEXT-BOOK OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY._ + By DAVID PAGE, F.R.S.E., &c. With Illustrations and a Glossarial + Index. Crown 8vo, 2s. + + +_INTRODUCTORY TEXT-BOOK OF GEOLOGY._ + By DAVID PAGE, F.R.S.E., F.G.S. With Engravings on Wood and + Glossarial Index. Seventh Edition, 2s. + + "It has not often been our good fortune to examine a text-book on + science of which we could express an opinion so entirely favourable + as we are enabled to do of Mr Page's little work."--_Athenaeum._ + + +_ADVANCED TEXT-BOOK OF GEOLOGY_, + Descriptive and Industrial. By DAVID PAGE, F.R.S E., F.G.S. With + Engravings and Glossary of Scientific Terms. Fourth Edition, revised + and enlarged, 7s. 6d. + + "It is therefore with unfeigned pleasure that we record our + appreciation of his 'Advanced Text-Book of Geology.' We have + carefully read this truly satisfactory book, and do not hesitate to + say that it is an excellent compendium of the great facts of + Geology, and written in a truthful and philosophic + spirit."--_Edinburgh Philosophical Journal._ + + +_HANDBOOK OF GEOLOGICAL TERMS, GEOLOGY, AND PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY._ + By DAVID PAGE, F.R.S.E., F.G.S. Second Edition, crown 8vo, 7s. 6d. + + +_THE PAST AND PRESENT LIFE OF THE GLOBE_: + Being a Sketch in Outline of the World's Life-System. By DAVID PAGE, + F.R.S.E., F.G.S. Crown 8vo, 6s. With Fifty Illustrations, drawn and + engraved expressly for this Work. + + "Mr Page, whose admirable text-books of geology have already + secured him a position of importance in the scientific world, will + add considerably to his reputation by the present sketch, as he + modestly terms it, of the Life-System, or gradual evolution of the + vitality of our globe. In no manual that we are aware of have the + facts and phenomena of biology been presented in at once so + systematic and succinct a form, the successive manifestations of + life on the earth set forth in so clear an order, or traced so + vividly from the earliest organisms deep-buried in its stratified + crust, to the familiar forms that now adorn and people its + surface."--_Literary Gazette._ + + +_THE GEOLOGICAL EXAMINATOR_: + A Progressive Series of Questions adapted to the Introductory and + Advanced Text-Books of Geology. Prepared to assist Teachers in + framing their Examinations, and Students in testing their own + Progress and Proficiency. By DAVID PAGE, F.R.S.E., F.G.S. Third + Edition, 1s. + + +_THE GEOLOGY OF PENNSYLVANIA_: + A Government Survey; with a General View of the Geology of the United + States, Essays on the Coal-Formation and its Fossils, and a + Description of the Coal-Fields of North America and Great Britain. By + Professor HENRY DARWIN ROGERS, F.R.S., F.G.S., Professor of Natural + History in the University of Glasgow. With Seven large Maps, and + numerous Illustrations engraved on Copper and on Wood. In 3 vols. + royal 4to, L8, 8s. + + +_SEA-SIDE STUDIES AT ILFRACOMBE, TENBY, THE SCILLY ISLES, AND JERSEY._ + By GEORGE HENRY LEWES. Second Edition. Crown 8vo, with Illustrations, + and a Glossary of Technical Terms, 6s. 6d. + + +_PHYSIOLOGY OF COMMON LIFE._ + By GEORGE HENRY LEWES, Author of 'Sea-side Studies,' &c. Illustrated + with numerous Engravings. 2 vols., 12s. + + +_CHEMISTRY OF COMMON LIFE._ + By Professor J. F. W. JOHNSTON. A New Edition. Edited by G. H. LEWES. + With 113 Illustrations on Wood, and a Copious Index. 2 vols. crown + 8vo, 11s. 6d. + + +_NOMENCLATURE OF COLOURS_, + Applicable to the Arts and Natural Sciences, to Manufactures, and + other Purposes of General Utility. By D. R. HAY, F.R.S.E. 228 + Examples of Colours, Hues, Tints, and Shades. 8vo, L3, 3s. + + * * * * * + +_NARRATIVE OF THE EARL OF ELGIN'S MISSION TO CHINA AND JAPAN._ + By LAURENCE OLIPHANT, Private Secretary to Lord Elgin. Illustrated + with numerous Engravings in Chromo-Lithography, Maps, and Engravings + on Wood, from Original Drawings and Photographs. Second Edition. In 2 + vols. 8vo, 21s. + + "The volumes in which Mr Oliphant has related these transactions + will be read with the strongest interest now, and deserve to retain + a permanent place in the literary and historical annals of our + time."--_Edinburgh Review._ + + +_RUSSIAN SHORES OF THE BLACK SEA_ + In the Autumn of 1852. With a Voyage down the Volga and a Tour + through the Country of the Don Cossacks. By LAURENCE OLIPHANT, + Esq. 8vo, with Map and other Illustrations. Fourth Edition, 14s. + + +_EGYPT, THE SOUDAN, AND CENTRAL AFRICA_: + With Explorations from Khartoum on the White Nile to the Regions of + the Equator. By JOHN PETHERICK, F.R.G.S., Her Britannic Majesty's + Consul for the Soudan. In 8vo, with a Map, 16s. + + +_NOTES ON NORTH AMERICA_: + Agricultural, Economical, and Social. By Professor J. F. W. JOHNSTON. + 2 vols. post 8vo, 21s. + + "Professor Johnston's admirable Notes.... The very best manual for + intelligent emigrants, whilst to the British agriculturist and + general reader it conveys a more complete conception of the + condition of these prosperous regions than all that has hitherto + been written."--_Economist._ + + +_A FAMILY TOUR ROUND THE COASTS OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL_ + during the Winter of 1860-1861. By LADY DUNBAR, of Northfield. In + post 8vo, 5s. + + +_THE ROYAL ATLAS OF MODERN GEOGRAPHY._ + In a Series of entirely Original and Authentic Maps. By A. KEITH + JOHNSTON, F.R.S.E., F.R.G.S., Author of the 'Physical Atlas,' &c. + With a complete Index of easy reference to each Map, comprising + nearly 150,000 Places contained in this Atlas. Imperial folio, + half-bound in russia or morocco, L5, 15s. 6d. (Dedicated by + permission to Her Majesty.) + + "No one can look through Mr Keith Johnston's new Atlas without + seeing that it is the best which has ever been published in this + country."--_The Times._ + + "Of the many noble atlases prepared by Mr Johnston and published by + Messrs Blackwood & Sons, this Royal Atlas will be the most useful + to the public, and will deserve to be the most + popular."--_Athenaeum._ + + "We know no series of maps which we can more warmly recommend. The + accuracy, wherever we have attempted to put it to the test, is + really astonishing."--_Saturday Review._ + + "The culmination of all attempts to depict the face of the world + appears in the Royal Atlas, than which it is impossible to conceive + anything more perfect."--_Morning Herald._ + + "This is, beyond question, the most splendid and luxurious, as well + as the most useful and complete, of all existing + atlases."--_Guardian._ + + "There has not, we believe, been produced for general public use a + body of maps equal in beauty and completeness to the Royal Atlas + just issued by Mr A. K. Johnston."--_Examiner._ + + "An almost daily reference to, and comparison of it with others, + since the publication of the first part some two years ago until + now, enables us to say, without the slightest hesitation, that this + is by far the most complete and authentic atlas that has yet been + issued."--_Scotsman._ + + "Beyond doubt the greatest geographical work of our + time."--_Museum._ + + +_INDEX GEOGRAPHICUS_: + Being an Index to nearly ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND NAMES OF + PLACES, &c.; with their LATITUDES and LONGITUDES as given in KEITH + JOHNSTON'S 'ROYAL ATLAS;' together with the COUNTRIES and + SUBDIVISIONS OF THE COUNTRIES in which they are situated. In 1 vol. + large 8vo., 21s. + + +_A NEW MAP OF EUROPE._ + By A. KEITH JOHNSTON, F.R.S.E. Size, 4 feet 2 inches by 3 feet 5 + inches. Cloth Case, 21s. + + +_ATLAS OF SCOTLAND._ + 31 Maps of the Counties of Scotland, coloured. Bound in roan, price + 10s. 6d. Each County may be had separately, in Cloth Case, 1s. + + +_KEITH JOHNSTON'S SCHOOL ATLASES_: + GENERAL AND DESCRIPTIVE GEOGRAPHY, exhibiting the Actual and + Comparative Extent of all the Countries in the World, with their + present Political Divisions. A New and Enlarged Edition. With a + complete Index. 26 Maps. Half-bound, 12s. 6d. + + PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, illustrating, in a Series of Original Designs, + the Elementary Facts of Geology, Hydrology, Meteorology, and Natural + History. A New and Enlarged Edition. 19 Maps, including coloured + Geological Maps of Europe and of the British Isles. Half-bound, 12s. + 6d. + + CLASSICAL GEOGRAPHY, comprising, in Twenty-three Plates, Maps and + Plans of all the important Countries and Localities referred to by + Classical Authors; accompanied by a pronouncing Index of Places, by + T. HARVEY, M.A. Oxon. A New and Revised Edition. Half-bound, 12s. 6d. + + ASTRONOMY. Edited by J. R. HIND, Esq., F.R.A.S., &c. Notes and + Descriptive Letterpress to each Plate, embodying all recent + Discoveries in Astronomy. 18 Maps. Half-bound, 12s. 6d. + + ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ATLAS OF GENERAL AND DESCRIPTIVE GEOGRAPHY for the + Use of Junior Classes. A New and Cheaper Edition. 20 Maps, including + a Map of Canaan and Palestine. Half-bound, 5s. + + "They are as superior to all School Atlases within our knowledge, + as were the larger works of the same Author in advance of those + that preceded them."--_Educational Times._ + + "Decidedly the best School Atlases we have ever seen."--_English + Journal of Education._ + + "The best, the fullest, the most accurate and recent, as well as + artistically the most beautiful atlas that can be put into the + schoolboy's hands."--_Museum, April 1863._ + + +_A MANUAL OF MODERN GEOGRAPHY_: + Mathematical, Physical, and Political. Embracing a complete + Development of the River-Systems of the Globe. By the REV. ALEX. + MACKAY, F.R.G.S. With Index. 7s. 6d., bound in leather. + + +_THE BOOK OF THE FARM._ + Detailing the Labours of the Farmer, Farm-Steward, Ploughman, + Shepherd, Hedger, Cattle-man, Field-worker, and Dairymaid, and + forming a safe Monitor for Students in Practical Agriculture. By + HENRY STEPHENS, F.R.S.E. 2 vols. royal 8vo, L3, handsomely bound in + cloth, with upwards of 600 Illustrations. + + "The best book I have ever met with."--_Professor Johnston._ + + "We have thoroughly examined these volumes; but to give a full + notice of their varied and valuable contents would occupy a + larger space than we can conveniently devote to their discussion; + we therefore, in general terms, commend them to the careful study + of every young man who wishes to become a good practical + farmer."--_Times._ + + "One of the completest works on agriculture of which our literature + can boast."--_Agricultural Gazette._ + + +_THE BOOK OF FARM IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINES._ + By JAMES SLIGHT and R. SCOTT BURN. Edited by HENRY STEPHENS, F.R.S.E. + Illustrated with 876 Engravings. Royal 8vo, uniform with the 'Book of + the Farm,' half-bound, L2, 2s. + + +_THE BOOK OF FARM BUILDINGS_: + Their Arrangement and Construction. By HENRY STEPHENS, F.R.S.E., and + R. SCOTT BURN. Royal 8vo, with 1045 Illustrations. Uniform with the + 'Book of the Farm.' Half-bound, L1, 11s. 6d. + + +_THE BOOK OF THE GARDEN._ + By CHARLES M'INTOSH. In 2 large vols. royal 8vo, embellished with + 1353 Engravings. + + _Each Volume may be had separately--viz._: + + I. ARCHITECTURAL AND ORNAMENTAL.--On the Formation of + Gardens--Construction, Heating, and Ventilation of Fruit and Plant + Houses, Pits, Frames, and other Garden Structures, with Practical + Details. Illustrated by 1073 Engravings, pp. 766. L2, 10s. + + II. PRACTICAL GARDENING.--Directions for the Culture of the Kitchen + Garden, the Hardy-fruit Garden, the Forcing Garden, and Flower + Garden, including Fruit and Plant Houses, with Select Lists of + Vegetables, Fruits, and Plants. Pp. 868, with 279 Engravings. L1, + 17s. 6d. + + "We feel justified in recommending Mr M'Intosh's two excellent + volumes to the notice of the public."--_Gardeners' Chronicle._ + + +_PRACTICAL SYSTEM OF FARM BOOK-KEEPING_: + Being that recommended in the 'Book of the Farm' by H. STEPHENS. + Royal 8vo, 2s. 6d. Also, SEVEN FOLIO ACCOUNT-BOOKS, printed and ruled + in accordance with the System, the whole being specially adapted for + keeping, by an easy and accurate method, an account of all the + transactions of the Farm. A detailed Prospectus may be had from the + Publishers. Price of the complete set of Eight Books, L1, 4s. 6d. + Also, A LABOUR ACCOUNT OF THE ESTATE, 2s. 6d. + + "We have no hesitation in saying that, of the many systems of + keeping farm accounts which are now in vogue, there is not one + which will bear comparison with this."--_Bell's Messenger._ + + +_AINSLIE'S TREATISE ON LAND-SURVEYING._ + A New and Enlarged Edition. Edited by WILLIAM GALBRAITH, M.A., + F.R.A.S. 1 vol. 8vo, with a Volume of Plates in Quarto, 21s. + + "The best book on surveying with which I am acquainted."--W. + RUTHERFORD, LL.D., F.R.A.S., _Royal Military Academy, Woolwich_. + + +_THE FORESTER_: + A Practical Treatise on the Planting, Rearing, and Management of + Forest Trees. By JAMES BROWN, Wood Manager to the Earl of Seafield. + Third Edition, greatly enlarged, with numerous Engravings on Wood. + Royal 8vo, 30s. + + "Beyond all doubt this is the best work on the subject of Forestry + extant."--_Gardeners' Journal._ + + "The most useful guide to good arboriculture in the English + language."--_Gardeners' Chronicle._ + + +_HANDBOOK OF THE MECHANICAL ARTS_, + Concerned in the Construction and Arrangement of Dwellings and other + Buildings; Including Carpentry, Smith-work, Iron-framing, + Brick-making, Columns, Cements, Well-sinking, Enclosing of Land, + Road-making, &c. By R. SCOTT BURN. Crown 8vo, with 504 Engravings on + Wood, 6s. 6d. + + +_PROFESSOR JOHNSTON'S WORKS_: + Experimental Agriculture. Being the Results of Past, and Suggestions + for Future, Experiments in Scientific and Practical Agriculture. 8s. + + Elements of Agricultural Chemistry and Geology. Eighth Edition, 6s. + 6d. + + A Catechism of Agricultural Chemistry and Geology. Fifty-seventh + Edition. Edited by Dr VOELCKER. 1s. + + On the Use of Lime in Agriculture. 6s. + + Instructions for the Analysis of Soils. Fourth Edition, 2s. + + +_THE RELATIVE VALUE OF ROUND AND SAWN TIMBER_, + Shown by means of Tables and Diagrams. By JAMES RAIT, Land-Steward at + Castle-Forbes. Royal 8vo, 8s. half-bound. + + +_THE YEAR-BOOK OF AGRICULTURAL FACTS._ + 1859 and 1860. Edited by R. SCOTT BURN. Fcap. 8vo, 5s. each. 1861 and + 1863, 4s. each. + + +_ELKINGTON'S SYSTEM OF DRAINING_: + A Systematic Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Draining Land, + adapted to the various Situations and Soils of England and Scotland, + drawn up from the Communications of Joseph Elkington, by J. + Johnstone. 4to, 10s. 6d. + + +_JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE, AND TRANSACTIONS OF THE HIGHLAND AND +AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND._ + OLD SERIES, 1828 to 1843, 21 vols. L3 3 0 + + NEW SERIES, 1843 to 1851, 8 vols. 2 2 0 + + +_THE RURAL ECONOMY OF ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND IRELAND._ + By LEONCE DE LAVERGNE. Translated from the French. With Notes by a + Scottish Farmer. In 8vo, 12s. + + "One of the best works on the philosophy of agriculture and of + agricultural political economy that has + appeared."--_Spectator._ + + +_DAIRY MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF MILCH COWS_: + Being the recorded Experience of MRS AGNES SCOTT, Winkston, + Peebles. Second Edition. Fcap., 1s. + + +_ITALIAN IRRIGATION_: + A Report addressed to the Hon. the Court of Directors of the East + India Company, on the Agricultural Canals of Piedmont and Lombardy; + with a Sketch of the Irrigation System of Northern and Central India. + By LIEUT.-COL. BAIRD SMITH, C.B. Second Edition. 2 vols. 8vo. with + Atlas in folio, 30s. + + +_THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE FARM_: + A Series of Designs for Farm Houses, Farm Steadings, Factors' Houses, + and Cottages. By JOHN STARFORTH, Architect. Sixty-two Engravings. In + medium 4to, L2, 2s. + + "One of the most useful and beautiful additions to Messrs + Blackwood's extensive and valuable library of agricultural and + rural economy."--_Morning Post._ + + +_THE YESTER DEEP LAND-CULTURE_: + Being a Detailed Account of the Method of Cultivation which has been + successfully practised for several years by the Marquess of Tweeddale + at Yester. By HENRY STEPHENS, Esq., F.R.S.E., Author of the 'Book of + the Farm.' In small 8vo, with Engravings on Wood, 4s. 6d. + + +_A MANUAL OF PRACTICAL DRAINING._ + By HENRY STEPHENS, F.R.S.E., Author of the 'Book of the Farm.' Third + Edition, 8vo, 5s. + + +_A CATECHISM OF PRACTICAL AGRICULTURE._ + By HENRY STEPHENS, F.R.S.E., Author of the 'Book of the Farm,' &c. In + crown 8vo, with Illustrations, 1s. + + +_HANDY BOOK ON PROPERTY LAW._ + By LORD ST LEONARDS. The Seventh Edition. To which is now added a + Letter on the New Laws for obtaining an Indefeasible Title. With a + Portrait of the Author, engraved by HOLL. 3s. 6d. + + "Less than 200 pages serve to arm us with the ordinary precautions + to which we should attend in selling, buying, mortgaging, leasing, + settling, and devising estates. We are informed of our relations to + our property, to our wives and children, and of our liability as + trustees or executors, in a little book for the million,--a book + which the author tenders to the _profanum vulgus_ as even + capable of 'beguiling a few hours in a railway + carriage.'"--_Times._ + + +_THE PLANTER'S GUIDE._ + By SIR HENRY STEUART. A New Edition, with the Author's last Additions + and Corrections. 8vo, with Engravings, 21s. + + +_STABLE ECONOMY_: + A Treatise on the Management of Horses. By JOHN STEWART, V.S. Seventh + Edition, 6s. 6d. + + "Will always maintain its position as a standard work upon the + management of horses."--_Mark Lane Express._ + + +_ADVICE TO PURCHASERS OF HORSES._ + By JOHN STEWART, V.S. 18mo, plates, 2s. 6d. + + +_A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE GRAPE VINE._ + By WILLIAM THOMSON, Gardener to His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch, + Dalkeith Park. Fifth Edition. 8vo, 5s. + + "When books on gardening are written thus conscientiously, they are + alike honourable to their author and valuable to the + public."--_Lindley's Gardeners' Chronicle._ + + "Want of space prevents us giving extracts, and we must therefore + conclude by saying, that as the author is one of the very best + grape-growers of the day, this book may be stated as being the key + to his successful practice, and as such, we can with confidence + recommend it as indispensable to all who wish to excel in the + cultivation of the vine."--_The Florist and Pomologist._ + + +_THE CHEMISTRY OF VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY._ + By Dr J. G. MULDER, Professor of Chemistry in the University of + Utrecht. With an Introduction and Notes by Professor JOHNSTON. 22 + Plates. 8vo, 30s. + + +_THE MOOR AND THE LOCH._ + Containing Minute Instructions in all Highland Sports, with + Wanderings over Crag and Correi, Flood and Fell. By JOHN COLQUHOUN, + Esq. Third Edition. 8vo, with Illustrations, 12s. 6d. + + +_SALMON-CASTS AND STRAY SHOTS_: + Being Fly-Leaves from the Note-Book of JOHN COLQUHOUN, Esq., Author + of 'The Moor and the Loch,' &c. Second Edition. Fcap. 8vo, 5s. + + +_COQUET-DALE FISHING SONGS._ + Now first collected by a North-Country Angler, with the Music of the + Airs. 8vo, 5s. + + +_THE ANGLER'S COMPANION TO THE RIVERS AND LOCHS OF SCOTLAND._ + By T. T. STODDART. With Map of the Fishing Streams and Lakes of + Scotland. Second Edition. Crown 8vo, 3s. 6d. + + "Indispensable in all time to come, as the very strength and grace + of an angler's tackle and equipment in Scotland, must and will be + STODDART'S ANGLER'S COMPANION."--_Blackwood's Magazine._ + + +_RELIGION IN COMMON LIFE_: + A Sermon preached in Crathie Church, October 14, 1855, before Her + Majesty the Queen and Prince Albert. By the REV. JOHN CAIRD, D.D. + Published by Her Majesty's Command. Bound in cloth, 8d. Cheap + Edition, 3d. + + +_SERMONS._ + By the REV. JOHN CAIRD, D.D., Professor of Divinity in the University + of Glasgow, and one of Her Majesty's Chaplains for Scotland. In crown + 8vo, 5s. This Edition includes the Sermon on 'Religion in Common + Life,' preached in Crathie Church, Oct. 1855, before Her Majesty the + Queen and the late Prince Consort. + + "They are noble sermons; and we are not sure but that, with the + cultivated reader, they will gain rather than lose by being read, + not heard. There is a thoughtfulness and depth about them which can + hardly be appreciated, unless when they are studied at leisure; and + there are so many sentences so felicitously expressed that we + should grudge being hurried away from them by a rapid speaker, + without being allowed to enjoy them a second time."--_Fraser's + Magazine._ + + +_THE BOOK OF JOB._ + By the late REV. GEORGE CROLY, LL.D., Rector of St Stephen's, + Walbrook. With a Memoir of the Author by his SON. Fcap. 8vo, + 4s. + + +_LECTURES IN DIVINITY._ + By the late REV. 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