322 ON THE POLLED ANGUS OR ABERDEEN 



too ripe by buyers. As the fat cattle go off, the stalls are filled 

 by beasts bought in the neighbourhood, and either finished in 

 spring, or kept over-year upon the pastures. The method of 

 feeding stock upon Mr M'Combie's farms is very simple. The 

 cattle eat the best of the straw and the refuse goes for litter. The 

 racks are carefully cleaned out twice a day, and the forestalls 

 once. Turnips are given thrice a day ; at six in the morning, 

 then at twelve, and again at four, a barrowful being allowed 

 between two cattle. Xow and then the cattle are inspected, and 

 the sluggish ones allowed 3 or 4 lbs. of cake with a like quantity 

 of ground corn, so as to keep them up to a level with the tops. 

 The beds are well shaken up two or three times a day in order 

 to ensure comfort when the animals lie down. 



Mr Reid, Greystone, is also an extensive feeder. He breeds 

 a few, but buys in and fattens many more. He does not confine 

 himself entirely to polled stock, but selects good crosses as well. 

 His Christmas cattle have turnips at 6 a.m., 12, and 4 p.m., each 

 animal consuming 9 to 11 stones daily. Good oat straw is 

 supplied between the root meals, the refuse going for litter. 

 Until the turnips are ready, tares and 3 lbs. of cake are given, 

 afterwards the cake is discontinued until about six weeks from 

 the time that the cattle are to be sold. Cake, bean-meal, ami 

 pease are all used as required ; in some cases, a little hay is added. 

 Mr Eeid's great principle seems to be to keep the animals in a 

 progressive state from the time they come into his possession. 



Mr Adamson, Balquharn. also feeds a large number of cattle. 

 His system differs very little from those just described. He 

 allows turnips thrice a day, with straw between the meals thrown 

 into the forestalls. About six weeks before market, 3 lbs. of 

 cake are ^iven in the mornino; and 4 lbs. of bruised corn at eis^ht 

 o'clock in the evenius^. The animals intended for the Christmas 

 markets are housed in August, and fed with cut grass and ripened 

 tares until the soft turnips are ready. 



Most farmers who prepare polled cattle for the butcher, feed, 

 with trifling modifications, as described above. The very fact 

 that little extraneous food is required, speaks volumes for the 

 improved breed. Many feeders prepare 50 to 100 animals for 

 the market in the course of the year ; others, 100 to 200 ; while 

 Mr M'Combie annually fattens 300 to 400, about 50 of which 

 he breeds, the remainder, as already stated, being purchased in 

 the neighbourhood during the spring months." 



Foiled Crosses. 



Crossing the breed with other races has been extensively tried 

 with various results. The small native homed breeds are often 

 served with polled males, and the calves are naturally weedy 

 mongrels. Mr Bowie jocularly alludes to the strange variety of 



