HELMSDALE TO MEIKLE FERRY. 67 



breed has long been known in the land, and fetched 

 top. prices at the northern markets for nearly two 

 hundred years. The herd consists of thirty-four 

 pure West Highland and twenty-three cross-bred 

 cows. Some of the latter are between the West 

 Highland and the Ayrshire, which makes a rare first 

 cross, taking rather to the Ayrshire, and gaining in 

 quality of milk what it loses in quantity. Compara- 

 tively few Ayrshires are kept in Sutherland, as the cli- 

 mate is rather too keen for them, and both for flesh 

 and milk the first cross between the West Highland 

 and the shorthorn is the favourite. The Dunrobin sys- 

 tem is to let the calf have one side and the dairymaid 

 the other ; but if the West Highland cow is a crack, 

 she and her calf wander off to the Eig Burn field, 

 which gives them a rough bite all the winter; while 

 the cross cows are kept in the house, and their calves 

 reared by the pail. The former are brought in for a 

 clay or two before calving, to accustom the calf to be 

 handled; but that is all the shelter they get. In 

 coarse weather the bullocks have an open fold, and, 

 with turnips and a little cake to help, they are gene- 

 rally killed when rising four, at about 11 1 cwt., with 

 " a good deal of the steelyard inside." The first- 

 prize cow at Paris in ^56 was bred by Mr. Stuart, of 

 Duntulm, and prepared for show by Mr. Tait, who 

 became Her Majesty's Home Farm bailiff about six 

 years since. A dozen beasts were added from the 

 Breadalbane sale; and the brindled ox, which was 

 third to the late Duke of Athole's yellow and dun 



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