128 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



ton and venisou, about which Iliglilaiul chiefs boast so 

 louJly, are the natural productions of the fine herbage of 

 his sliort bat bus}' season. 



We have said busy season, and so it is, much industrious 

 agility being manifested by stock of every kind in the selec- 

 tion of their food. An auimal, before it collects its break- 

 fast, goes over a goodly length of journey ; so that when we 

 take into consideration the uulevel nature of the ground, 

 no little muscular energy is daily spent in feeding. The 

 exercise thus daily taken by highland stock is favourable 

 to muscular development and quality of meat, and accounts 

 for the larger amount of lean meat which their carcases pre- 

 sent when they come to the shambles. There is not only 

 a better development of muscle, but the quality of the tissue 

 is finer, while the fat is equally superior, and mixed better 

 with the lean. All these results are thus produced by 

 natural causes. In one sentence, we have the exhibition of 

 a superior article — a higher degree of organism than is ex- 

 emplified in our improved breeds of the lowlands. 



Those of the young stock, whose functions have not been 

 seriously impaired by the previous autumn, winter, and 

 spring, recover very fast when they get the length of their 

 second year's grass, and hence become better able to stand 

 the second winter. Unfortunately, however, as already 

 stated, a large number of animals, oxen and sheep, do not so 

 recover, but are led by instinct in search of medicinal 

 plants, and even to eat seawrack, and drink salt water. A 

 few of these may recover during the third grazing, and so 

 on, thus satisfactorily accounting for all the diversities to 

 be met with amongst stock in the highlands, and the beef 

 and mutton they yield when sent to market. 



It will thus be seen that the means of improving the 

 breed of our highland stock, or, perhaps we should sa}', the 

 means of preventing their deterioration, is a more uniform 

 system of diet, and shelter from the inclemency of the wea- 

 ther. In this there is nothing novel, for it is just what 

 every intelligent farmer has been striving to reduce to prac- 

 tice for the last half-century, to the best of his ability. Since 

 ever we knew anything about highland farming (and that 

 is now nearly forty years) farmers have endeavoured by 

 every means in their power to prevent their calves and 

 lambs getting " a set" after weaning, by removing them 

 to the best lowland winter grazings, turnip feeding, &c. ; 

 while not a little has been done in many cases by drainage 

 and shelter to improve hill-pasture, and thus make better 

 provision for the wants of flocks and herds in spring, when 

 they are returned to their native grazings, and in autumn, 

 before they are removed from them, to the winter keep of 

 the lowlands. 



But with all the advances that have thus been made of 

 late, much remains to be done before highland stock receive 

 even a shadow offair'play, when placed in comparison with 

 the improved breeds of the lowlands, or even before their 

 own merits as breeds can be fairly tested or estimated in a 

 pecuniary or money-making sense. 



In estimating the merits of our mountain breeds of cattle 

 and sheep, too little credit is generally given to the su- 

 periority of the meat they yield for our tables on the one 

 hand, and, on the other hand, to the small quantity of pro- 

 duce that supports them in their native pastures for the 

 manufacture of this superior quality. 



In the management of our improved Shorthorns and 

 Southdowns, we contrive, by artificial means, to give them 

 the benefit of a perpetual summer season as it 

 were, well aware that unless they enjoy a uniform 

 supply of rich food, from the time they are weaned up to the 



period when they are sent to the shambles, the 

 upshot will be a losing game, besides an inferior quality of 

 butcher-meat, always estimated at a higher price than it is 

 intrinsically worth. Attention has already been drawn to the 

 rapidity with which our hill-breeds fatten in their native glens 

 during the short season of vegetation. Now, were it possible 

 to give them a perpetual summer amongst their own mountain 

 glades and Alpine terraces, or even an approximation to what 

 their lowland rivals enjoy, what results would they then re- 

 turn ? Were they thus treated, and the proper attention 

 paid to the selection of animals for breeding, it must appear 

 evident to all who have any experience in thtir management 

 that they would return much highar comparative results. 



In advocating fair play for our Highland stocks, it must not 

 be overlooked that southern stock-farmers are rapidly advanc- 

 ing in the march of progress— at least so far as weight of car- 

 case and early maturity are concerned. Had the former only 

 to contend in the market with the old stocks of the Lowlands, 

 the day would be their own in a pecuniary sense of view ; but 

 when they are placed in the scales with our improved breeds, 

 as Shorthorns, Southdowns, &c., it then becomes a matter of 

 justice to examine practically the details on both sides before 

 we can arrive at a satisfactory conclusion. 



Comparing the beef and mutton of our highland stock with 

 the beef and mutton of our Shorthorns, Southdowns, and other 

 improved breeds that attain to early .maturity and heavy 

 weight, quality, we have seen, is greatly in favour of the 

 former; but the other conditions just mentioned (viz., weight 

 and early maturity) are in favour of the latter. Now, as the 

 superior quality of meat is a condition that cannot be given 

 up consistently with sound practice, two questions naturally 

 arise for solution, viz.. Can we improve the weight and early 

 maturity of our highland breeds without deteriorating the 

 quality of the meat ? and, Can we improve the quality of the 

 beef of our improved Shorthorns, Herefords, and Devons, and 

 the mutton of our improved Southdowns, Leicesters, Cots- 

 wolds, &c., without losing weight and early maturity ? And 

 to both these an affirmative answer must unquestionably be 

 given. 



Of late a very popular plan for the solution of both these 

 problems has been extensively and most successfully pur- 

 sued by many, viz., a cross between highland and lowland 

 breeds. As a permanent system, however, it is surrounded 

 with many drawbacks, for the beef and mutton of such 

 crosses are inferior in quality to the beef and mutton of the 

 pure highland stock, while second-crossing cannot be success- 

 fully pursued, so that the parental stock must be kept pure on 

 both sides. Such being the facts of the case in practice, we 

 have consequently to fall back upon the problem of improving 

 both parental stocks ; for so long as they are capable of im- 

 provement, results from first-crossing can never be considered 

 a settled and permanent question. So long as we can increase 

 the weight of our highland breeds of cattle and sheep, and 

 get them to market sooner, without deteriorating the quality 

 of the meat they yield, and so long as we can improve the 

 quality of the beef and mutton of our improved lowland 

 breeds of stock without interfering injuriously with their early 

 maturity and weight, the sound practical and philosophical 

 course is to go on improving until the two extremes meet in 

 one common equality of early maturity, weight, and quality of 

 meat. Looking at the stalls of our butchers at this season, 

 the reader may no doubt safely say we are far from the standard 

 of equality as yet ; but that is no reason for saying that two 

 bodies moving towards each other will never meet. 



Dhu-Albinach. 



