780 A HISTORY OF SHORT-HORN CATTLE. 



session he remained for four years. He was 

 shown locally as a yearling and two-year-old; 

 but during all the years that the bull was in 

 Nome's possession the Messrs. Watt had not 

 seen him, although some extraordinary state- 

 ments as to his character reached their ears. 

 At Nome's sale in 1889 Mr. Watt bought him 

 back, " because/' he says, "on seeing Young 

 Abbottsburn I had to admit that the half had 

 not been told concerning him." He resembled 

 his sire, Abbottsburn, in a general way, but 

 was heavier. Mr. Watt states that as a calf 

 Young Abbottsburn was not very well cared 

 for. He had run with his mother all through 

 the summer months, and up to the time he was 

 sold had received no grain and was not re- 

 garded as an extraordinary calf. Norrie bought 

 him at $200, and to him credit must be given 

 for developing probably the greatest carcass 

 ever seen in the show-yards of North America. 

 He was used as a stock bull by Mr. Norrie, and 

 served other cows in the neighborhood, siring 

 some useful cattle, which, as a rule, bred better 

 than themselves. At the time the bull was 

 bought back from Mr. Norrie he weighed nearly 

 2,600 Ibs. He had been kept in a box-stall with 

 free access to a yard of moderate size where he 

 could take exercise at will; the door of his box 

 being seldom closed in summer or winter. His 

 principal feed had been roots and hay with the 



