REPORT ON THE AGRICULTURE OF DUMFRIESSHIRE. 307 



until three years old. The heifers are generally ready first, and 

 are disposed of at the former age. Many of the best of them 

 are sent to the Smithfield market, and they usually sell at from 

 sixpence to ninepence per stone more than the bullocks. This 

 class are not commonly fat until they are three years of age, and 

 they generally weigh about fifty stones. The heifers are in most 

 instances from five to ten stones less in weight. 



A very marked improvement has taken place in the quality of 

 the Galloway stock of the county during the last twenty-five 

 years. The means which have contributed to that improvement 

 are for the most part similar to those which have been employed 

 for the same purpose in other counties. But the most conspi- 

 cuous and influential of these was an annual sale of young bulls 

 which has taken place at Lockerbie since 1851, under the 

 auspices of the Lockerbie Farmers' Club. Previous to that 

 time many private sales of such animals were made at the 

 annual show which was held there in April. It occurred to 

 Mr Charles Stewart, that if a sale by auction were started it 

 would afford great facilities for the interchange of blood between 

 the Annandale, Cumberland, and Galloway breeders. This idea 

 has been practically carried out since the above year, and un- 

 precedentedly high prices were obtained. Most of the one-year- 

 old animals disposed of realised from L.12 to L.20, while a few of 

 the best gave from L.20 to L.30, and even some were sold for 

 more than the last mentioned figure. Some years after a similar 

 sale was started at Castle Douglas, and has been continued since 

 with equally beneficial results. The following nobleman and 

 gentlemen have long been distinguished for the superiority of 

 their stocks of Galloway cattle : — The Duke of Buccleuch, Mr 

 Graham of Shaw; Mr Gillespie, Annanbank ; Mr Carruthers, 

 Kirkhill ; Mr Beattie, Newbie ; Mr Koddick, Greenhill-head, and 

 others. 



2. Ayrshires — The Dairy System. — The dairy system is such a 

 recent, and has become such a prominent, feature in the agricul- 

 ture of Dumfriesshire, that the history of its gradual introduction 

 into the county ought to form a leading part of such a report as 

 the present. It was first introduced on the farm of Kirkbank, 

 in the parish of Johnstone, which is on the property of Mr Hope 

 Johnstone of Annandale. Dr Singer, whose work was published 

 in 1812, records that Mr John Aitken (who was a native of 

 Dairy, in Ayrshire, and who had originally come to the county 

 for the purpose of making fences and roads) " introduced many 

 years ago the Dunlop method of making cheese, and has con- 

 tinued to maintain a respectable character as a maker of superior 

 cheese for many years. His cows are not of the Galloway 

 breed, but of the horned and red and white speckled breed of 

 Ayrshire." Mr Aitken died in 1812, and his successors con- 



