152 AT THE SIGN OF THE STOCK YARD INN 



been spent on bulls, and lo! they were nursing 

 unawares a calf from a plainish mother that had 

 been left by the inbred WILKINSON sire on their own 

 farm. One after another of the sons and daughters 

 of this the greatest stock bull Scotland has ever 

 known, grew up into cattle of the real rent-paying 

 sort. Pages might be filled with the names, pedi- 

 grees and performances of his descendants in the 

 showyards and breeding-pens of Britain and America, 

 but space will not here permit. Such cows as 

 Village Belle, Village Rose, Princess Royal, Morn- 

 ing Star, British Queen, Carmine Rose, Silvery, 

 Mimulus, Surmise, Gircassia, Violante, Finella and 

 Victorine would alone suffice to make the reputation 

 of the most ambitious breeder. Not only were these 

 and other of the best of the Champion's heifers 

 retained for breeding purposes, but his bulls were 

 given a trial along with sires obtained from other 

 herds. 



A long and costly experience had by this time 

 impressed the uncertainties attending the intro- 

 duction into a mixed-bred herd of bulls, no matter 

 how satisfactory their individuality, of widely diver- 

 gent bloodlines, and although it was contrary to 

 their predilections the GRUICKSHANKS were so satis- 

 fied with the hair and flesh and feeding quality of 



