ABERDEEN TO THE SHETLANDS. 11 



cipally black and white, red and white, black with 

 mottle grey, red, dun, and " red mixed with ashes," 

 which may answer to our dark roan. About Edin- 

 burgh, where a good many are kept to feed in parks, 

 white and black, and more especially white with 

 black ears, are the popular colours. If the former 

 are crossed with a white bull, the calves in many 

 instances fall rich black roan. The Unst cattle are 

 best, but in some islands the bad-coloured ones seem 

 only born to a course of seaweed and starvation. 

 Queys in store condition, from three to five, average 

 3 to 3 5s., and stots of that age are scarcer, and 

 from 5s. to 10s. dearer. Cows near calving range from 

 4< 10s. to 5 10s.,but unless they are very well fed the 

 queys scarcely ever have a calf in Shetland till their 

 fourth or fifth summer. Some cows are sold fat off the 

 islands in August and September, and the fleshers 

 deem an orange tint on the skin their highest test 

 of quality. A few between seven and ten from the 

 very best pasture have " died well" in Aberdeen at 

 two to two and a-half cwt. neat. Others are exported 

 younger, and are fed off, about Edinburgh, without 

 ever having a calf; but the stots are liked better for 

 stores, and, with good keep, will more than double 

 their price in twelve months. Eight quarts of milk can 

 be got at a meal, but five are not a bad average where 

 no bean flour has been used. The bettermost class of 

 Shetlanders have generally " butter and cream flying 

 through the house -/' but, except in Unst, there is 

 very little cheese. The "bland" is made by pouring 



