AS FOOD FOR CATTLE AND SHEEP. 339 



hand and to the length of tmie which will probably intervene 

 before they can be turned out to the pasture fields, or disposed 

 of to advantage in the store or fat market. Too many feeders 

 have hitherto proceeded on the tacit assumption that cattle and 

 sheep cannot thrive w^ell on less than the usual liberal supply 

 of roots. Hence it has been customary when the quantity on 

 hand was short to continue the usual allowance until, the 

 supply being exhausted, either the stock had to be parted w^ith, 

 probably at a sacrifice, or extra food, such as cakes and other 

 feeding stuffs, had to be procured at a heavy outlay to tide them 

 over until relief was got on the pastures. Both of these evils 

 can be obviated in a large degree by curtailing the large allow- 

 ance of turnips usually given to cattle and sheep. The truth of 

 this was in some measure impressed on the minds of stock 

 owners in Scotland by the short turnip crop of 1879, and still 

 further by the great scarcity during the spring of 1881, caused 

 by the unprecedentedly destructive frost in the first month of 

 that year. These hard experiences will not have been unmiti- 

 gated evils if they lead farmers to perceive the proper place 

 which such a watery crop as turnips ought to occupy in pro- 

 viding food for live stock. 



ACCOUNT OF THE SHOW OF THE HIGHLAND AND AGRI- 

 CULTURAL SOCIETY HELD AT KELSO IN 1880. 



The Fifty-Third Annual Meeting and Show of Stock and Imple- 

 ments, held under the auspices of the Society, took place at 

 Kelso from the 27th till the 30th July ; and, notwithstanding 

 almost incessant rain during the first two days, proved highly 

 gratifying to the numerous agriculturists assembled. 



The Society had visited the border district on five previous 

 occasions, namely, Kelso in 1832 — the first competition open to 

 both sides of the Tweed; Berwick in 1841 and 1854, and Kelso 

 in 1863 and 1872. 



The exhil)ition in 1880, as well as those of the three previous 

 meetings at Kelso, was held in the Bridge-end Park, the property 

 of Sir George H. Scott Douglas of Springwood Park, Bart. The 

 ground occupied by the yard extended over 30 acres, and was 

 convenient in every respect, being level and admirably suited for 

 the purposes of the show. The situation is singularly beautiful, 

 being opposite to where the Tweed is joined by the Teviot, and 

 within a few minutes' walk both of the railway station and the 

 town of Kelso. From the sliow ground Floors Castle, tlie seat 

 of the Duke of Roxbnrghe, with its beautiful grounds, is visible 

 on the oj)posite side of the Tweed, while in front Is the town, thu 



