THURSO TO HELMSDALE. 43 



rior length, strength, and hardihood of the Caithness 

 giminers, the breeders have begun to separate them 

 from the wedder hoggs. The sheep number between 

 seven and eight thousand ; and on the last occasion 

 the Castle Hill half-bred hoggs were quoted at 42s., 

 and the half-bred lambs from Latheron Wheel at 

 22s. 6d. Mr. Traill buys his lambs ; but the great 

 majority of the farmers breed their own, and sell 

 them fat as hoggs off turnips (folded or on the 

 grass) in the spring, or in good store condition " on 

 the hill." 



Major Home of Stirkoke is a very large breeder 

 of half-breds ; and it was by his kinsman, the late 

 Mr. William Home, of Scouthal, who was urged on 

 by the counsels and example of Mr. Rennie, of Phan- 

 tassie, that shorthorn bulls were introduced upwards 

 of forty years ago, to cross the West Highland, or the 

 large red or black, with brown tinge cows, which seem 

 to have existed for ages in Caithness. " Shirra Trail," 

 who, like his coeval, Lord Duffus, (then known as 

 Sir Benjamin Dunbar), will always be remembered 

 as one of the veritable old Caithness worthies, 

 was equally zealous in the cause, and so were their 

 factors., Mr. James Purvis and Mr. William Darling, 

 both of them Berwickshire men. The red or roan crest 

 of Sittyton now marks the monarch of many a herd ; 

 and from cows of shorthorn crosses, Anguses, Gallo- 

 ways, and Shetlanders, which Mr. Dudgeon (now of 

 West Lothian) first introduced at Greenland, the year- 

 lings and two-year-olds spring, of which about seven 



