206 ON THE AGEICULTURE OF THE 



about seventy ewes on his farm. Mr Gordon, Udale, has been 

 rearing a few very fine Leicester tups^f or five or six years, mostly 

 for his own use, though of late a small number have been offered 

 for sale. The nucleus of his stock came off the stock of the Eev. 

 Mr Bosanquet, Eock, while about four years ago he introduced 

 about forty ewes and gimmers from Marvingston. The tups used 

 at first were purchased from Mr Lees, and latterly from the 

 Messrs Clark, the top prices being always paid for these tups. 

 There are now about 100 ewes at Udale. Mr Munro, Ord, alst) 

 breeds a few ; while Captain Warrand, Eyefield, reared a good 

 many for several years, but dispersed his stock in September last. 



Horses, 



The following table shows the number of horses in both 

 counties at various periods since 1854 : — 



Of the number of horses returned this year about 5300 are 

 employed in agriculture exclusively, while about 1700 are either 

 mares kept solely for breeding purposes, or young animals not 

 yet trained to work. The increase of this latter class during the 

 past five or six years is close on 70 per cent., and this no doubt 

 is due to the enormously high prices which have been current 

 for farm-horses for a few years back. These exorbitant prices 

 have turned almost every farmer to the breeding of horses for 

 himself, and we believe there is a larger number of foals and 

 young horses throughout the county at the present day than 

 there has ever been at any former period in the history of 

 agriculture. This must inevitably bring farm horses nearer to 

 theh proper value than they have been for some time, and indeed 

 in most counties they are beginning to decline already. The 

 farm horses generally throughout Eoss and Cromarty have been 

 improved very much during the past quarter of a century, 

 chiefly by the action of Farmers' Clubs and landed proprietors 

 in bringing in improved stallions ; but still they are far from 

 what might be desired. They are rather light and leggy, with 

 too little of the real Clydesdale stamp about them ; and it is by 

 the introduction of the best Clydesdale stallions to be had that 

 the desired improvement is most likely to be effected. Some 

 farmers seem to cling to light leggy horses because they go at a 

 smart pace in the reaper ; but this advantage, if it is such, is 

 surely more than counterbalanced by the shortcoming of these 

 animals at the heavier work of the farm. Farm-horses are 

 usually worked pretty steadily, but they are also well fed and 

 well cared for otherwise. From 60 to 80 acres of land — in a few 



