48 ON THE AGRICULTURE OF THE COUNTY OF FIFE. 



for nearly two years, and for whicli their owner — a large farmer 

 in Eoss-shire — refused the handsome figure of L.38 a-head in the 

 month of March last. But these are only exceptions. In Fife- 

 shire, as in every other county in Scotland, home-bred cattle are 

 as a rule found to give the best acconnt of the good things 

 bestowed on them, and to afford the largest return for their 

 winter's keep. And we do not doubt but home-bred cattle would 

 be bought by all the Fifeshire farmers w^ere it easy or possible to 

 obtain them. But when such a large number is required this is 

 scarcely possible, and hence resort must be had to the large 

 droves of Irish cattle that are brought into the Fifeshire markets, 

 especially in the months of August, September, and October. 

 The markets of these months are invariably very largely made up 

 of Irish cattle ; often, in fact, entirely. One very much to be 

 deplored result of such a large import of Irish cattle is, that the 

 county is constantly kept in a mess of foot-and-mouth disease, 

 and often also with pleuro-pneumonia. The loss that is frequently 

 sustained by these maladies is very heavy, and in many cases 

 absorbs nearly the profit that can be had after the animals are 

 wintered. August and September are the principal months for 

 buying in the winter's stock, and at that time from L.16 to L.18 

 a-head is the price usually paid for yearlings. The animals are 

 very liberally fed during winter with turnips (yellows generally 

 at the onset and swedes latterly) and cake, and are sold in prime 

 condition in the spring at from L.26 to L.32 a-head. The oldest 

 and best thriving lots are generally sold in the months of January 

 and February, a few even in December, many of the younger 

 and stiffer beasts remaining in the feeding-staUs till the June 

 markets. A number of farmers introduce as many as possible of 

 the winter stock from the neighbouring counties, — Perthshire 

 especially, — and these animals invariably afford the largest return 

 for their keep, excepting perhaps the few reared by the farmers 

 themselves. 



The few cows that are kept in the county are of various breeds, 

 the majority being crosses of a somewhat obscure origin. The 

 bulls used are almost all shorthorns, and are generally of very 

 fair merit, a few of them being very good. With the view of 

 improving their breed of cattle, a few of those farmers who keep 

 a small breeding stock have recently been experimenting with 

 crosses between Galloway cows and shorthorn bulls. Mr Cun- 

 ningham, Dallachy, bought a few Galloway heifers some time 

 ago, and has been rearing excellent calves between them and a 

 superior shorthorn bull; while Mr Dingwall, Piamornie, has 

 been breeding from pure Galloway cows and first crosses from 

 Galloways and shorthorn bulls for a few years. This system is 

 not by any means a bad one, and the efforts of these and other 

 gentlemen to improve the native breed of cattle deserve the 



