46 FIELD AND FERN. 



shorthorn bull lean a good deal to the female in 

 shape, although the black coat is not unfrequentiy 

 transmuted into red or bronze. They seldom put 

 out horns before the third cross, and then very often 

 mere scurs; but at this stage the shorthorn fairly 

 wins the colour, and the white nose comes as the 

 fringe ear vanishes. Beyond the third cross breeders 

 very seldom venture, as the produce is too deli- 

 cate and leggy to breed from* Sir John does not 

 keep so many cows as Mr. Henderson, of Westerseat 

 (who has generally 300 acres under turnips on this 

 and his Bilbster property, much of which is reclaimed 

 from moss) ; and he makes up his numbers with 

 calves from his tenants, who have the use of his bulls. 

 These tenants' cows are a mixture of West High- 

 land, Orkney, and old Caithness with shorthorn; and 

 about a fourth of the yearlings, which Sir John sold 

 last Georgemas at 14 each, were full of Shetland 

 blood on the dam's side. Sir John has had very few 

 Shetland cows through his own hands ; but a trio 

 which he once purchased for 7 10s. brought him 

 three calves each, and averaged ten guineas when 

 sold fat. Of late he has principally depended on 

 Sittyton for his bulls ; and it was from there that he 

 purchased Malachite, who formed for us, with Whip- 

 per-in, Forth, and Royal Butterfly llth, quite a chain 

 of first-prize Royal English bull-beacons between 

 Barrock and Keir. 



Grass in Caithness is generally ready towards the 

 latter end of May, and continues up to the middle of 



