COUNTIES OF ELGIN AND NAIRN. 117 



" Selina," a yearling heifer after Fascinator, out a Selina cow, and 

 bred by Mr George Cater, Londonderry, is a fair heifer. Mr 

 Watt has hitherto disposed of his bull calves at public sales, and 

 liis average prices invariably stood very high. He has been 

 devoting more attention to the breeding than to the feeding of 

 stock, but though he has never exhibited on a large scale, his 

 cattle have won a great many valuable prizes. At the Highland 

 vSociety's show at Aberdeen Mr Watt won a second prize for a 

 bull, at Kelso a second for a heifer, and the same heifer won 

 second at Stirling, where Mr Watt also won the first and fourth 

 tickets with other animals. He has gained a great many prizes 

 at local shows for his older stock. For bull calves he won a 

 second and tliird prize this year at Perth, and a first prize in 1881. 



Sivine, Poultry, and Markets. 



Swine. — The rearing of swine in both counties receives com- 

 paratively little attention from the farmers. There are usually 

 one, two, or three pigs on every farm, and in many cases they 

 are reared in courts among young cattle. Breeding sows are 

 kept on some holdings, as well as by millers and distillers, and 

 the young pigs are usually taken away when about five weeks 

 old. Then they are generally worth from lis. to 16s. each. 

 The breeding and feeding of swine undoubtedly deserve much 

 more attention than they receive. Breeding sows, as a rule pay 

 their owners very well. In order to show the number of swine 

 at different periods since 1857, we subjoin the following table : — 



Nairn. 

 1420 pigs. 

 733 „ 

 932 „ 

 715 „ 

 705 „ 



These figures bring the fact clearly out that there is an extraor- 

 dinary falling off in the number of swine within the past twenty- 

 five years. In Morayshire, it will be observed, there is 1461 of 

 a decrease, while in Xairnshirc there are not much more than 

 lialf the total number of 1857. 



Poidtry. — There are a great many famous poultry breeders in 

 Moray and Nairn. Farm-yards are usually well stocked with 

 fowls, and a cohsiderable revenue is derived from them. Poultry 

 reared at various places in both counties have oftener than once 

 taken prominent positions in tlie prize lists of large poultry 

 shows. 



Markets. — Like otlier northern counties, these two are well 

 f)rovided with markets and auction marts. Elgin, Forres, Gran- 



