148 ON THE AGRICULTURE OF 



One Store Steer, Two Years Old. 



Food. Cost. 



Ordiiuuy System, 150 lbs. Turnips, 9d. 



Pulping System, 34 lbs. of Mixture, 6jd. 



The pulped mixture is made up each forenoon, and allowed to 

 lie till next day before being used. A layer of straw is laid 

 down first, then turnips, then cake, and lastly the diluted treacle. 

 The heap is at once turned over three times, and then left un- 

 touched for close on, but never more than, twenty-four hours. 

 In two hours two men and a boy make up a mixture for a day's 

 feed to over 120 head of cattle. The pulping and bruising 

 apparatuses are driven from the turbine wheel of the threshing- 

 mill, so that there is no extra cost for motive power. The cattle 

 relish the mixture very much and thrive admirably upon it. 

 The straw in the mixture, and the supply always within reach 

 of the cattle, is balanced by the manure. 



Polled Cattle. — Probably no more interesting chapter in a 

 history of the agriculture of these counties could be written 

 than on the breeding of polled Aberdeen and Angus cattle. It 

 is a subject of much importance, and has a history of peculiar 

 interest. The materials, too, are plentiful. In a report such as 

 this, however, unless it were to be enlarged to the dimensions of 

 a volume, it would be impossible to enter anything like fully 

 into the matter. A very brief account must suffice. In a word, 

 it may be stated that the black polled cattle, now known as the 

 polled Aberdeen and Angus breed, are the direct descendants of 

 the ancient Angus "Dodclies," and Buclian "Humlies," the native 

 polled cattle of the north-east of Scotland. There have been 

 much discussion and dissension as to whether Forfarshire or 

 Aberdeenshire has the better claim to be considered the cradle 

 of the improved breed ; but into that question we do not intend 

 to enter, nor need we dilate upon the value and importance of 

 this fine breed, which is every year making greater and greater 

 strides in popularity, and which may safely be said to have 

 before it a brilliant and useful future. It is pretty certain that 

 even before the advent of the present century, the excellent beef 

 producing qualities of the polled breed had been discovered, and 

 to some degree developed by method and care in breeding and 

 rearing. It is well authenticated that, about the beginning of the 

 century, it had attained to considerable popularity all over the 

 north-east of Scotland, and that soon after several polled herds 

 were founded in the ancient little county of Angus and else- 

 where. Twenty-five years ago — at the commencement of the 

 period to which this report specially refers — there were in For- 



