310 ON THE POLLED ANGUS OR ABEKDEEN 



bouglit without reservation as to price. The above enumeration 

 brings up the principal purchases since 1832 to the present time. 

 It will thus be seen that the Aberdeen and Angus polled breeds 

 are here blended together ; and that not a single horned animal 

 has been introduced into the herd." 



The fold at Tillyfour we may say has few rivals, and its worthy 

 owner has raised the black skins to a standard of excellence 

 which redounds greatly to his credit. 



2. The Mains of Kelly Herd. — Very few, if any, breeders of 

 polled cattle have been more successful than Mr A. Bowie, Mains 

 •of Kelly. He avers that the breeding of black skins has been a 

 labour of love with him for more than forty years : moreover, he 

 was trained to the business, for his worthy father was one of the 

 first improvers of the race, and was thus contemporary with the 

 elder school of breeders. 



The late Mr Bowie bought his first cow at Boysack, on the 

 property of Mr H. A. F. Carnegie, of Spyiaie and Boysack, in 

 1810 or 1811. She was named Boysack ; in colour was black 

 with a little white on flank, and had a white udder. She was 

 of large size, a fine milker, and thoroughly doddied. An offshoot 

 from this cow produced Jenny [pQ) who produced Eosa of Kelly 

 (828), and, by the help of Colonel of Ardestie (329), produced 

 Cupbearer (59), than whom scarcely a better bull could be bred. 

 When the property of Lord Southesk, who kept this favourite 

 animal till he was ripe in age and honours, being eight or nine 

 years old, his blood flowed freely into all the counties where 

 Angus male blood was desired. 



Such was the origin of the famous Mains of Kelly herd. Mr 

 Bowie's method has been to breed in line from Panmure and Old 

 Jock on the male side, and while he has always kept in sight the 

 maxim " put the best to the best," he has done it judiciously, 

 avoiding violent crossing. Although Mr Bowie has had the 

 honour of owninsf such celebrated cows as Old Favourite, the 

 dam of Angus (45), Queen Mother (348), Lola Montez (202), and 

 Black Meg (11), yet their progeny have not come to the front in 

 the showyard in past years equal to those from the old Mains of 

 Kelly and West Scryne cows. 



But rinderpest made sad havoc in the herd, only 21 being 

 saved out of 93 head ! And yet Mr Bowie's lot was not so hard 

 as that of some of his neighbour breeders, whose herds were 

 completely stamped out. 



Of late years, by perseverance and that consummate skill and 

 judgment in selection and crossing which alone tend to satis- 

 factory results, Mr Bowie has again raised his fold to the desired 

 standard of excellence. We might say much more on the merits 

 of this splendid herd, but we reserve further remarks until we 



