288 



The Country Gentleman's Magazine 



THE DUN MORE SHORTHORNS. 



HAVING a few spare hours in Glasgow 

 last week, I took the rail and went 

 up to see the herd of shorthorns that the 

 Earl of Dunmore has gathered together at 

 the Carsie Farm, on the Dunmore Estate, 

 near Stirling. Part of the land is rich 

 alluvial soil, and grows fine feeding grass, 

 but on the western side of the property it 

 appears to be merely reclaimed bog or peat ; 

 and a few hundred yards from the black 

 tarred byre may be found heather in abund- 

 ance. From the acreage and buildings it 

 was apparent that the farm had become over- 

 stocked, which is presumably the cause why 

 his lordship is dispersing the larger portion 

 of the herd; which were sold out and 

 out on Thursday, the 5th of September, to 

 the highest bidder. My Northumbrian 

 guide took me first into the black byre, round 

 which are several ryegrass poor meadows, 

 with here and there a small plantation. 

 There are but few bulls for sale, the catalogue 

 giving but six, the others having been sold or 

 steered according to their quality. A red 

 yearling was brought out, and a thick massive 

 fellow he was, the kind of bull I have often 

 seen the canny Aberdonian taking to the far 

 north. He was followed by a roan, a little 

 younger, by Edgar (a bull once taking first 

 premium at the Highland meeting), from 

 Fleda's Farewell, a cow not, it is feared, 

 in a breeding state, but one of the 

 finest in the herd. This bull is also of 

 good promise, although not quite so thick in 

 his crops as his red neighbour. The two 

 Marquis bulls are animals of fine quality and 

 hair, and of high pedigree ; but the first bull 

 for sale, Baron Oxford 5th, shews, in a higher 

 degree, a more refined breeding and character. 

 He is a good deep red, with but litde white, 

 and his calves, in pens near him, indicate his 

 excellence as a stock-getter. Two other old 

 bulls were here, one of them of the Duchess 

 blood, viz., Second Duke of Collingham, a large 



roomy beast, with a grand crest and carriage; 

 the other, Royal Cambridge, a smaller, more 

 compact bull, with a deal of blood - like 

 quality and substance. 



In the park were the cows grazing, most 

 of them in good breeding order, and several 

 looked like good dairy animals also. Some, 

 by their deep massive frames, almost parallel- 

 ograms in form, were particularly striking. 

 Princess, a deep red cow with such a hairy 

 little chub of a bull calf at her side, was 

 one of them, and Lady Elvira another ; also 

 Princess Alexandra, a beautiful roan square- 

 looking cow, and Royal Dora, one of the 

 few whites in the herd. Lady Thorndale, 

 another roan, looks much like a good milker, 

 and a sweet-looking cow too, as well as Lady 

 Bright Eyes ist, of the Wild Eyes strain— a 

 family carefully bred by the late Mr Bates. 

 Two or three fine-looking cows, with broad 

 backs, shewing much symmetry and 

 quality were, I heard, Red Roses and 

 Revel rys, the former an importation from 

 America 3 likev/ise an extraordinary high-bred 

 looking roan cow called the Eleventh Lady 

 of Oxford, whose daughter, Oxford Duchess, 

 is included in the sale. The heifers are per- 

 haps the gems of the herd ; about a dozen 

 were running among the beech trees knee 

 deep in grass, and a prettier, more even 

 lot are rarely to be seen. One of these, 

 Marchioness of Oxford, strikes the eye at 

 once, by her massive frame and st}dish 

 head ; possibly she is the best of the lot. 

 Lady Bright Eyes 3d, a pretty roan by 

 Seventh Duke of York, and of the Wild Eyes 

 strain, is another noticeable by her sweetness 

 and character. The foot-and-mouth disease 

 played sad havoc in the winter months, 

 and with its usual after consequences 

 carried off the calves of two or three of the 

 primest lots. These were having a little 

 additional care ; of this lot, Lady Thorndale 

 Bates 2d, and Siddington 7th, two of his 



