THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



285 



sale, carried off the head prize at Windsor, for the best 

 bull iu Class I. Still his success had many serious 

 drawbacks, as tweaty-four of his cows died of 

 pleuro-pueumonia, aud thirty-three cast their calves; 

 but the herd was gradually rising into note once 

 more, when, iu consequence of circumstances well 

 known, Mr. Wetherell gave up his Kirkbridge farm, 

 where he had once hoped to end his days, aud went 

 to reside about a mile off, at Aldborough. He 

 did not, however, relinquish breeding entirely ; and, 

 faithful to the blood of The Earl of Scarborough, he 

 brought his daughters, Lady Scarborough and The 

 Uuchess of Northumberland (who goes back with two 

 crosses of Belvidere to " Sockburn Sail," by John 

 Coates's bull) along with him ; and these, with Moss 

 Rose, Cosy, and a few others, formed the germ of the 

 fourth herd, which is just about to come to the hammer. 

 The herd, which numbers about lifty head, fifteen of 

 them bulls, is at present located at the High Grange, 

 near Melsonby, where Mr. Wetherell took quarters for 

 them in cousequence of not meeting with a suitable farm. 

 A drive of three miles from Aldborough brings you to 

 the spot, v/hich is nearly the most elevated in the neigh- 

 bourhood. Diddersley Hill, with its sparse covering of 

 whin and heather, stands bleak and brown on the south, 

 partially intercepting the view towards Richmond, which 

 is seven miles away. There was once a castle on it, and 

 as you pass through a half-crumbling turreted archway, 

 you fancy that, even if it be only tenanted by the owls 

 and the bats, there must of a surety be one still ; but 

 not one stone is left upon another. You soon find that 

 your castle is in the air, and that you have just passed 

 through the mere portal to a moor. Mr. Wetherell's 

 holding is up two or three fields to the left. The farm- 

 buildings look desolate enough, and exposed to all the 

 fury of the west wind, but there is a snugness and com- 

 fort in all the arrangements down to the canvas cur- 

 tains, and the whin bushes en the gates, which proves, 

 without even seeing the result in the beautiful con- 

 dition of the cattle, that Mr. Wetherell and his trusty 

 herdsman, John Ward, have not battled with the elements 

 in vain. 



It was a pleasant change, after being almost frozen as 

 we sat, to leave our gig and find ourselves among the 

 bull calves in a comfortable stable, whose stalls have 

 been boxed off for their little Heid-Book occupants. 

 Royal Oak, by Lord Mayor (14828), out of Oak Apple, 

 was on the extreme right, and the herd boy was soon at 

 his side to make him hold up his head, and show off his 

 handsome dark roan frame to the best advantage. He 

 is a remarkably well-made calf, with a very broad back, 

 straight quarters, and rich hair, and promises to be a 

 high wrangler some day. Mr. Wetherell sold his sire. 

 Lord Mayor, to Sir Antony de Rothschild, when eigh- 

 teen months old, for 250 guineas ; and his dam. Oak 

 Apple, goes back through Anti-radical (1642) — which 

 pretty well fixes his date — to the original Holm House 

 blood in North Star. Next to him is perhaps a still 

 sweeter calf to the eye, in the shape of Lord Aberdeen, 

 who is rather a lighter roan, and with the most blood- 

 like of heads. He is also by The Lord Mayor, out of 



Moss Rose, and she was shown in-calf with him at 

 Aberdeen, when she was second to Mr. Douglas's 

 Britannia, for whom that gentleman gave Colonel 

 Towneley 500 guineas. Comfort, a white heifer out of 

 Cozy, the dam of Lord Mayor, next claimed attention 

 for her own and^ her half-brother's sake ; and then we 

 found the meaning of the two names exemplified to the 

 full as we passed into the first yard, which was quite a 

 straw paradise, such as departed Victorias and Bracelets 

 may be supposed to revel in when Royal Society and 

 breeding toils are o'er. 



The roan Passion Flower, by Whittington (12299), 

 out of Magic Flower, was the first to come forth on the 

 left, and, like old Cozy, she has never been in public. 

 She is a great milker, and shows a great deal of breed- 

 ing, combined with fine handling, and rich hair; but 

 she is not quite so good-looking as her sister, Windsor 

 Flower (so called after her sire's victory there), who was 

 sold to Mr. Stirling, of Keir, for 250 guineas. The 

 white Lady Scarborough followed, and is stately in her 

 presence, as her dam was in name. Her fine broad 

 back, prominent breast, and round ribs, are her especial 

 points, aud she is in-calf to Alderman. Lord Scar- 

 borough and Statesman are both out of her ; then 

 comes the heifer Silver Bell, who was sold to Mr. Mar- 

 joribanks when a nine months' calf for 100 guineas ; and 

 last of all Stanley, own brother to Statesman. Her 

 ladyship has more elegance than Cozy, by Cother- 

 stone, who was turned out by her side, and seemed 

 a fine large roan cow, whose contour was rather 

 destroyed by a slight temporary injury ft) one of her 

 eyes. Two roan Lord Mayor calves — one of them 

 Lady, out of Countess, and the other Bloom, out 

 of Lucy — of the Killerby blood, succeeded. Both are 

 the same age to a day ; but good as Lady is in every 

 point. Bloom would beat her if they came together, 

 and we doubt if there is anything much superior to her 

 in the herd. Next came Roseleaf, by Whittington, a 

 thick good heifer with a white heifer calf by Lord 

 Scarboro' ; and then the bull side of the yard was 

 opened, and the white Catton, the dark red and white 

 Lumley, and the white Stanley, dashing out playfully 

 with tails erect, made us the centre of such an im- 

 petuous triangular duel, that at first we were for taking 

 refuge, notes and all, in an ignominious flight. How- 

 ever, they soon came to a truce, and our peace of mind 

 was restored. The two first are capitil specimens of 

 Lord Scarboro's get, out of Young Magic Flower and 

 the Duchess of Northumberland ; and Catton especially 

 has a wonderful back, and is very rich and fine ia the 

 hair. Stanley is also very well made, and bids fair to 

 be as good a bull as his brother, to whom he is as like 

 as he can be. 



When these young roysterers had been dismissed to 

 thsir boxes, we had the treat of the afternoon, as John 

 Ward and his aide-de-cam])s grouped the three Roses — 

 Moss, Ayrshire, and Stanley — side by side, in the yard. 

 The roan Moss Rose, who is in calf to Statesman, and 

 will be six in April, stood at the head, showing off well 

 that rare back and loin and round ribs, over which the 

 judges at the agricultural societies have so often pon- 



