COUNTIES OF ELGIN AND NAIRN. Ill 



being "Term Day 2nd" (3174). His sire is Don Juan (1555), 

 which is also the sire of all the heifers. " Florence 2nd " 

 (2144), by Cock of the North (1211), and out of Florence (928), 

 has extraordinary milking properties, and is the grand-daughter 

 of a fine cow bought from the late Mr Brown of Westerton. 

 "Fair Maid of Earnside 2nd" (4509) by Scotia (789), and out 

 of Fair Maid of Earnside (3716), which won many prizes in local 

 shows. She is a cow^ of fair merit. " Maid of Moray 4th " 

 (4510), by General (1297), and out of Maid of Moray 3rd (3711), 

 is a shapely cow of good character, and was very successful in 

 show^yards as a heifer. One of the best cows in the herd is 

 " Queen Mary of Mulben " (1043), after the Mayflower tribe, by 

 Jupiter (471), out of Ann of Mulben (1039). Mr M'Kessack 

 bought her, when two years old, from Mr Paterson, Mulben, at 

 50 guineas. This w^as supposed to be an extraordinary price 

 then. The value of this cow lies in her breeding. She gave 

 birth to twin calves four consecutive years. Another famous 

 milk cow is "Julia of Earnside 1st" (2116). "Barbara of Earn- 

 side " is a descendant of the Easter Skene stock, her dam Barbara 

 2nd (989) having been bought from Mr Combie, Easter Skene. 

 This year Mr M'Kessack sold three black polled cows for £150 

 for exportation to America. 



Shorthorn Cattle. 



Gordon Castle. — Established in 1842 by the purchase of three 

 cows and a bull in Northumberland, " Young Bess," " Bet," 

 •'Sally," and "Monsieur Yestris," this large and useful herd 

 has for many years enjoyed a wide reputation as the fountain of 

 pure "shortliorn" blood. Under careful and judicious manage- 

 ment, the herd has long been famous for its representation at 

 both local and national exhibitions. Mr Dawson, the present 

 manager, is watchful and successful in breeding, and, with all 

 the advantages derivable from a liberal owner, like His Grace 

 the Duke of Jtichmond and Gordon, he has very creditably sus- 

 tained, if indeed not raised, the character of the stock. The 

 bull " Monsieur Yestris " and " Young Bess " were bred by Mr 

 Jobson of Turvielaws, after the second Duke of Northumbt-r- 

 land, bred by Mr Bates. The other two of these cows, which 

 laid the foundation of this herd, were bred by Mr Aitkiuson of 

 Ewart, from whom they were purchased. His Grace's family of 

 Wimples, Blossoms, Flirts, and Jilts, which, together with 

 Destiny, Queens, and Mysteries, may be regarded as one race, 

 the founder of which was " The Queen," and was extracted from 

 the Ury herd in 1847, are very superior. A grand-daughter of 

 "The Queen" and the first of the Flirts added 14 calves in 

 fifteen years, and was herself disposed of, fat in her eighteenth 



