CLOSING EVENTS OF THE CENTURY. 777 



purposes from Sittyton 1,030 bulls at an aver- 

 age of 36 12s. 9d. and 321 cows and heifers at 

 an average of 32 14s. 9d. a total of 1,351 ani- 

 mals for 48,247, an average of 35 14s. From 

 1877 to 1889 practically the entire surplus of 

 young bulls was sold to the United States and 

 Canada after the wants of a few regular custo- 

 mers, had been supplied. The surplus heifers 

 were mostly exported during these same sea- 

 sons. A close estimate of total sales made from 

 the herd for breeding purposes for the forty- 

 seven years ended in 1889 includes 1,912 ani- 

 males for which there was received something 

 over 68,000.* 



*The author had the pleasure of visiting 1 Amos Cruickshank at his 

 home at Sittyton in June, 1892, in company with Mr. Duthie and Col. W. A. 

 Harris. Although then an octogenarian Mr. Cruickshank's mind was still 

 unclouded and he readily answered all questions put to him concerning 1 his 

 life work. He was often asked not only directly but in a roundabout way 

 which of his families he looked upon with most favor, but no one could 

 ever get him to make any definite statement on the subject. He pointed out 

 that many of them were, through the sires he had largely used, closely al- 

 lied, and one could gather from his talk that in his selection of stock bulls 

 he was influenced much by the qualifications of the dam and grandams,-his 

 judgment of their merits being based upon a high standard of excellence in 

 the matters of constitution, quality, milk and flesh. He was using at the 

 time the herd was sold two bulls of the Clipper and two of the Pure Gold 

 families, while he had retained for service a yearling bull of the Premium 

 or Crocus sort. His death occurred at Sittyton May 1895. 



Mr. Bruce relates the following incident which occurred during the 

 closing years of the old man's life, illustrating the esteem in which he was 

 held in the highest circles : 



"On one of the days of the Highland Show at Aberdeen in July, 1894, a 

 homely little ceremony took place which excited more than ordinary in- 

 terest. From the Royal box in the grand stand his Royal Highness the 

 Duke of York, President of the Society for the year, was witnessing the 

 parade of the live stock. Some one mentioned to his Royal Highness that 

 not far away on the stand a seat was occupied by that prince of cattle* 

 breeders, Amos Cruickshank, Sittyton. At once his Royal Highness de- 

 sired that Mr. Cruickshank be summoned to the Royal box. The octo- 

 genarian farmer and breeder, presenting a characteristic figure with his 



