THURSO TO HELMSDALE. 49 



I 



pairs in his meadows at Ackergill Tower. During the 

 earlier times of the local agricultural shows, he carried 

 oft the prizes for a series of years with one and two- 

 year-old crosses. He has since then been successful 

 with the cross between Shetland queys and shorthorn 

 bulls, selling the bullocks for 11 gs. at sixteen and 

 eighteen months old, and keeping the quey calves to 

 try a second cross. Latterly Sir George has given 

 his attention much more to breeding Leicesters. He 

 began with ewes purchased upwards of thirty years 

 since by his father, through the English " Nestor of 

 Shorthorns/ 5 Mr. Wetherell, from Mr. Davidson, of 

 Cantray. To these succeeded some ewes and a 

 tup from Mr. Compton of Learmouth, and then a 

 lot each from Mr. Thompson, of Haymount, and Mr. 

 Cockburn, of Sisterpath. One of the Brandsby tups 

 did not answer, as Caithness declared itself early in the 

 day quite as strongly as ' ' the little kingdom of Scot- 

 land and Northumberland" against the blue-faces. 



The size of the Border tups was what the breeders 

 yearned after as well; and hence Sir George has 

 generally gone on the system of buying a couple every 

 year in the Kelso ring. Lord Polwarth's round- 

 ribbed and flat-backed type is what he has held 

 by, and he was the last bidder but* one for the 

 top 62 shearling of " 'Sixty-three/' The clay loam 

 of Caithness suits turnips, and wool-staplers aver that 

 the clayslate rock, which in many parts lies close to 

 the surface and sorely foils the drainer, communi- 

 cates a peculiarly lustrous quality to the fleeces. No 



