THE COUNTIES OF FORFAR AND KINCARDINE. 145 



and, being fed oft' in six or eight months, are thus little more 

 than two years old when slaughtered. Some farmers prefer older 

 cattle, and either keep the cattle they buy in for two seasons, or 

 buy in two-year-olds and feed them otf when a little over three 

 years. About twenty years ago very few cattle were fed oft' at 

 so early an age as two, but now the majority of farmers prefer 

 animals that suit this rapid system of feeding. By far the 

 greater number of the home-bred cattle, which are superior to 

 those bought in, are sent to the butcher when from two to two 

 and half years old, while on the other hand the majority of 

 those bought in are not fed oft" till about three years old. The 

 large majority of the bought in stock come from Ireland, and are 

 nearly all shorthorn crosses. They are usually large for the 

 price paid, but they are often rough, and are frequently so badly 

 used in the journey from their native isle to their ultimate 

 destination, that they take some time to recover. They are, as a 

 rule, in every respect inferior to the home-bred cattle, but they are 

 very often the only class of cattle to be had. They are brought 

 over by Irish dealers, from w^hom the farmers in these counties 

 buy them either in markets or at sales, generally the former. 

 Latterly a few farmers have been trying Canadian cattle, which 

 are being sold regularly in Glasgow in large numbers. They are 

 large, but rough and old. They are bought at small figures, 

 however, and those who have tried them say they have paid 

 well. A few Caithness crosses have also been brought into 

 Kincardineshire for several years, while from England and even 

 the eastern states of the European Continent, occasional lots 

 are introduced. The extent of grass is limited in the wheat- 

 growing districts, and a very large number of the bought in 

 cattle do not enter the counties till well through the summer 

 and in autumn. Generally speaking, the home-bred stock con- 

 sist of crosses between either pure-bred shorthorn or polled 

 bulls and cross cows, the latter being in most cases crosses 

 between these two valuable breeds. There is no doubt that 

 since 1855 the ordinary cattle-stock, taken as a whole, have im- 

 jjroved greatly, partly from the more general use of well-bred 

 bulls, partly from more careful selection of cows, and ])artly also 

 from better housing and feeding. The early maturing pro- 

 perties of cattle have received more attention latterly than 

 some twenty years ago, with the result that home-bred cattle are 

 generally fed olf a year sooner than formerly. 



There is so little variety in tlie system of feeding pursued, 

 that a few sentences will sufhce on this ])oint. Un the large 

 majority of farms, cattle get no artificial food on the fields in 

 summer so long as grass is j)lentiful, but as soon as it begins to 

 fail they receive 3U})})lies of green food, such as tares, either on 



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