ON THE WEST HIGHLAND BREED OF CATTLE. 161 



of a certain locality, which is bleak, wild, and barren, and in 

 which most other breeds, if exposed to the privations the West 

 Highlander has to endure, would succumb. Therefore, any treat- 

 ment tending to pamper the breed would to a certain extent 

 destroy its usefulness. The more artificial influences that are 

 brought to bear on the feeding and management of any animal, 

 the more tender will such animal become. Still, there is a 

 differeuce between pampering and actually starving — a difference 

 which should be borne in mind by those who have the manage- 

 ment of hardy animals. Severe privation tends to disease ; this 

 should be carefully guarded against by the breeder of West 

 Highlanders. The winter quarters ought to be sheltered either 

 by natural ravines and declivities ; or belts of plantations may be 

 reared where natural means of shelter do not exist. Housing 

 has been tried, but the system has been found wanting, as beasts 

 which have their liberty invariably turn out better in the spring, 

 that is, if their pasture has afforded sufficient shelter from heavy 

 storms. 



When winter snows occur, hay or even straw should be liber- 

 ally supplied, for it is at such times that the animals need the 

 support their own " niggard plains deny." It is an indisputable 

 fact that animals need more food in extremely cold than in 

 moderately cold weather, as the quantity of feeding substances 

 necessary to keep an animal in a healthy progressive state is 

 usually proportionate to the degree of cold which has to be en- 

 dured. The breeder of stock should therefore make himself 

 thoroughly acquainted with the descriptions of food best calcu- 

 lated to attain the object in view, and these should be meted out 

 at the exact time when they are needed. 



In-and-in-breeding should be at all times avoided, for it is the 

 opinion of many experienced breeders that it is detrimental to 

 the stock, as deterioration soon sets in, and the progeny of blood- 

 related parents become stunted and dwarfish. The infusion of 

 fresh blood from herds of repute has quite an opposite tendency, 

 and where this is judiciously effected the results are marvellous. 



Where improvement guides the actions of the breeder, it is 

 quite evident that conservation will naturally follow ; for the 

 interest which he has in his stock will cause him to keep up the 

 numbers. Moreover, although sheep-breeding has for years been 

 encroaching upon the native heaths of the West Highlander, 

 there is a limit even to this, and it is the general opinion that 

 the level has at length been attained. There is a brisk demand 

 for cattle for grazing purposes, and West Highlanders must ever 

 be held in the foremost rank. Their flesh is of the sweetest, and 

 there is a freedom from disease in the whole race which causes 

 the beef they produce to be sought after by epicures and those 

 who understand the influence wdiich pampering has upon the 



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