ON THE WEST HIGHLAND BREED OF CATTLE, 153 



cared for, tliey are by no means pampered. The in-calf cows 

 alone are laid in during winter ; the remainder run upon the rough 

 pastures, and have a little hay given to them when a snowstorm 

 •occurs. For bulls of fine quality the Duntulm herd is celebrated, 

 Mr Stewart upon one occasion having realised the large sum of 

 L.250 for amagnificent animal. The Duntulm herd was descended 

 principally from one of the finest folds ever seen in Scotland. 

 This was the joint possession of Messrs Donald and Archd. 

 Stewart, in the Isle of Harris, who spared neither pains nor 

 expense to bring their stock to notable perfection. With this 

 view they obtained animals from most of the ever-faithful districts 

 upon the mainland, thus comLiining the bone and strength of the 

 interior with the horn and hair of the islands. It is said that 

 when their finely-moulded cattle, with hair like goats and horns 

 like buffaloes, w^ere being driven to the market at Falkirk, they 

 were the theme of admiration in every district through which 

 they passed. The stock is still well represented by that at 

 Duntulm, which fairly lays claim to be the oldest in Skye. A 

 moderately large herd is kept at Waternish in Skye, being the 

 property of Captain M'Donald. He usually sells his surplus 

 stock at Portree in May, for which there is a good demand. 



In the small island of Barra Dr M'Gillivray owns a very pro- 

 mising herd, containing some nice specimens both of cows and 

 heifers. 



One of the largest folds in the county of Inverness-shire is at 

 Balranald, in South Uist, the property of Mr M 'Donald. This 

 herd numbers from 90 to 100 cows in addition to the calves and 

 young stock. The fold dates back about fifty years, and although 

 it is generally admitted that the cattle are not large, yet the 

 blood is pure, and the animals are altogether symmetrical and 

 well-shaped. Of late years, fresh blood from the best Perthshire 

 stocks has been introduced, so that in time the animals will 

 doubtless attain heavier weights than they do at present. 



In Mull and Jura also are to be found some nice cattle of the 

 West Highland breed, but the herds are not so large as in some 

 of the other islands and on the mainland. 



It is generally conceded that there is a marked improvement 

 in the cattle found upon the islands during the past twenty to 

 thirty years, the infusion of fresh blood from the stronger animals 

 of the mainland having given stamina to the weaker of the 

 islands. With the exception of a few noted herds in Perth, 

 Argyll, and Inverness, it is, however, a generally received opinion 

 that the cattle of the mainland are slightly falling off, but this 

 perhaps refers more to a decrease in point of numbers than to 

 any deterioration in the cattle themselves. 



Former System of Management. — Up to about forty or sixty 

 years ago, very little attention was paid to the management of 



