AMOS CRUICKSHANK OF SITTYTON. 579 



the story of the Duchesses and viewed with 

 equanimity the rising reputation of Warlaby. 

 Cool and calculating, deliberate always, never 

 carried off his feet by the currents of fashion that 

 whirled round about the Short-horn breeders 

 of his time, it was with him always and for- 

 ever a question only of "what is best for our 

 country, our agriculture, our people?" And so 

 he started out on the indifferent soil of Sittyton 

 of Straloch to rear a class of cattle that should 

 meet the Scottish want. Untrammeled by 

 prejudices, unmoved by the gongs and cymbals 

 of those who were attracting the attention of 

 the majority of his contemporaries, this silent 

 man of destiny, keeping his own counsel, re- 

 served and retiring beyond all his colleagues; 

 honest, faithful, upright and inflexible in his 

 service in behalf of Northern agriculture, pur- 

 sued the even tenor of his way, often discour- 

 aged but never despairing, seeking in every 

 nook and corner of the United Kingdom for 

 material likely to aid in developing his herd; 

 testing first one blood and then another, until 

 finally a blade was found that cut the Gordian 

 knot for him and Scotland. 



While the Sittyton herd was progressing to 

 its apotheosis it had the service of a succes- 

 sion of distinguished sires and show bulls. It 

 has been said that Mr. Cruickshank did not 

 participate in th^ "wild hurrah" for "fashion- 



