BUTE AND ARRAX. 19 



tained its superiority. Mr Stewart was awarded tlie first prize, 

 twenty years ago, for the best aged cow in milk, and also a silver 

 medal as owner of the best six cows shown. 



In 1856 a selection of Ayrshire cows w^as made from herds in 

 Bute, and sent over to the Paris Exhibition as the joint adventure 

 •of several farmers. The cows were all sold at a good profit, and 

 oue selected from the herd of Mid Ascog, was awarded the bronze 

 medal as one of the best cows in milk in the exhibition. 



The MidAscog herd was founded about 1 85 0,with cows purchased 

 in the island, and its superior milking qualities were maintained 

 by the use of bulls from the herd of Mr Murdoch, Carntyne, near 

 Glasgow. Up to about 1870 only bulls from this herd were 

 bought in, and during that period many of the leading prizes at 

 the local show were awarded to Mr M'Allister, the tenant of Mid 

 Ascog. From 1859 to 1880 scarcely a year has passed without 

 his gaining medals for his Ay shires, and the tropbies won by 

 him can hardly be enumerated. After the Carntyne herd was 

 <lispersed bulls were purchased from the Burnhouses breed, and 

 by the exercise of great care in mating sires and dams tbe excel- 

 lency of the herd has been maintained. 



The herd of Mid St Colmac, owned by the late Mr Alexander 

 Hunter, and formed from stock brought from Ayrshire by him, 

 was one which for many years upheld the credit of Bute dairy 

 cows in sliowyards all over Scotland. After the death of Mr 

 Eobert Hunter the farm was carried on and the stock greatly 

 improved by his son, and at his death a few years ago it was sold 

 by public auction, and the prices realised were the highest ever 

 obtained at a displenishing sale in Bute. The three-year-old 

 queys drew very high prices, and three of them sold respectively 

 at £33, £28, and £25 a-piece. 



Several of the highest priced animals were purchased by the pre- 

 sent tenant of the farm, and with the lierd founded by his father, 

 Mr James Simpson, on Largivrechtan about thirty-four years ago, 

 they now form the magnificent herd of forty dairy cows on Mid St 

 Colmac. The Largivrechtan herd was founded from purchases 

 made in Ayrshire, and from cows purchased from jNIr Lochhead, 

 Toward, Argyllshire ; the bulls have almost invariably been pur- 

 chased from the tenant of Boydston, Ardrossan. One of these 

 bulls was the sire of twenty prize animals, and several high ])riced 

 cows liave at times been added to the herd, inchuling the famous 

 cow "Joan," bred at Knockdon, and sold at the Auchendennan 

 sale of Ayrshires some few years ago. 



The Bute herd, however, which lias come most to the front in 

 shows on the maiidand in recent years is that of Meikle Kilchattan. 

 This herd was founded fourteen years ago from purchases made 

 in the island. lUills liave been used bred by Mr Scott, Plane 

 Farm, P>ute ; Mr Ivie Campbell, Dalgig, New Cumnock; Mr 



