30S ON THE POLLED AXGUS OE ABERDEEN 



wliicli rendered them feeble and paralytic. But the report vcmst 

 "1)3 taken generally and not exclusively. Many herds of black 

 cattle were carefully reared even during the last quarter of the 

 eighteenth century, and cases were not unfrequent of oxen 

 v/hose four quarters exceeded 100 stones. 



Thus much for the polled types of cattle which wei^ to be 

 found in Angus and Aberdeen early in the present century. Aad 

 I)efore proceeding to notice the race of improvement which for 

 the past seventy years has been gradually going on. let us 

 examine another point which crops up. It is asserted by some 

 breeders of the present day, that the Aberdeen cattle and those 

 of Forfar originally constituted two separate and distinct tribes. 

 In proof of this, they draw attention to the difference in the 

 external appearances of the cattle. Though admitting a geaeral ' 

 resemblance, they point out what they term distinctive features, 

 in the quality of the hair, thickness of the skin, length of ear, size 

 of the animal, and other exterior variations, which, say the^j 

 stamp them as separate types. But it is well known what effect 

 climatic influences, quality of soil, breeding, feeding, and general 

 management have upon stock of the same blood when brought 

 to bear upon it for successive generations, and therefore, what 

 the claimants for two stamps of cattle call distinctive features^ 

 may have been entirely caused by a combination of influences such 

 as we have particularized. For ourselves, we have never noticed 

 any points in the unimproved cattle of the two districts which are 

 irreconcileable, or v\diich would be likely to lead an impartial 

 observer to believe that they constitute two separate races. 



To proceed a point further. It is now acknowledged on. aU 

 hands that what we may call for convenience sake the two tribes 

 have at lenjijth mero-ed into one. The bleudino: has certainly 

 been happy in its effects ; just what we might expect if the 

 members of a large stock were separated and removed to different 

 (Uiarters, and after a considerable lapse of time again brought 

 together and the blood intermingled. 



The repeated crossing of distinctive tribes almost invariably- 

 re suits in deterioration : after the first cross the progeny become 

 ill-proportioned and weedy. 



We have introduced the last subject inter edict in order to show 

 that if the polled cattle formerly represented two distinct or 

 separate types, then the blending of the tribes — the co-mingling 

 of the blood — has produced results at once satisfactory aud 

 exceptional. 



AYith respect to improvement in the polled stock, the late Mr 

 Hugh Watson, Keillor, has the well-merited honour accorded to- 

 hinT of being the first improver of polled Angus cattle. The 

 nucleus of his herd consisted of six cows and a bull of the Angus; 

 type received from his father. Not satisfied with their merits,; 



