COUNTIES OF EOSS AND CEOMAETY. 185 



which the tenants have to pay ; but we are decidedly of opinion 

 that it would be beneficial both for themselves and the country 

 at large, were nine-tenths of the Eoss and Cromarty farmers to 

 rear, at least, one-third, probably one-haK, of their cattle on their 

 own farms. As already stated, a few do breed about this propor- 

 tion, some even more, but the general system pursued is to breed 

 as few cattle as possible, and to buy in stirks and two-year-olds 

 from Caithness, Inverness-shire, and elsewhere in the north, and 

 from Irish drovers and feed them off. Cattle feeding is now so 

 important a branch of agriculture in these counties as to merit 

 more than a mere passing notice. But before speaking at length 

 upon it, we must refer briefly to another important system of 

 live-stock farming recently introduced into these counties, 

 viz : — 



Shorthorn Breeding. — For many years the most northern herd 

 of shorthorns in Scotland was at the farm of Hillhead in the 

 county of Nairn, but now there are two in Inverness-shire, one in 

 the Black Isle, and two in the county of Caithness. The 

 Inverness-shire herds are at Dochfour and Kirkton, and both are 

 well known for their superior blood and careful management. 

 The Black Isle herd is at the fine farm of Udale, and judging from 

 the foundation that has been laid, it promises to be one of the 

 most valuable herds of shorthorns in the north of Scotland. Mr 

 James Gordon, the enterprising tenant of Udale, reared a very 

 fine class of cross cattle up till 1871, when he began to turn his 

 attention to^" shorthorn breeding. At a public sale at Huntly, 

 Aberdeen.shire, in March 1871, he purchased a handsome dark 

 roan yearling heifer, " Mayflower " after " Prince of Worcester," 

 and descended from the stock of Mr Bruce, Broadland, Huntly. 

 " Mayflower's " first calf was " Maid of lioss " by '' Grand Duke," 

 bred at Broadland. Both the mother and daughter are still in 

 the herd and breeding regularly. The daughter, though only 

 four years old, has had no fewer than five calves, having had 

 three at a birth last spring. AU the three died, but the other 

 two are still on the farm — " Maid of Ross 2d," and '' Maid of 

 Ross 3d." Both are by " BaUiemore," bred by Mr Bruce, 

 Newton of Struthers, and now at Rosehaugh. Besides " Maid 

 of Ross 1st," " Mayflower " has had four calves — two buUs and 

 two heifers, the latter being " Helena " by '' BaUiemore," and 

 " Queen of Ross " by " Royal Eden," bred by Mr Dent, Katerfold 

 Brough, \\'estmoreland, and out of a cow bred by Mr Linton, 

 Sheriff Huttoa, York«hire, and after a bull of mostlv Booth 

 blood, named " Eden." " Royal Eden," who has been a freijuent 

 prize taker in England, was buiight by Mr Gordon at Birmingham 

 in March 1875. In 1872 ^Ir Gordon purchased " Clara," a nice 

 yearling heifer, bred by .Mr Cantlie, Keithmoi-e, l)ulltown, 

 Bauflshire, and after " Argus," a Dalkeith bull ; and her progeny 



