FORRES TO FOCHABERS. 101 



elder winters and finishes off at Grange Green more 

 heavy beasts, polls and crosses, than any man in 

 Morayshire. He numbers from 100 to 150, and 

 now brings out his cracks for the great Christmas 

 show of Forres. Before the establishment of this 

 show in '63, he generally sold his bsst to Mr. 

 M'Combie, and a lot of two-year-olds at 33 last 

 Christmas was their latest deal. Mr. Harris, who 

 lives at Earn Hill, a little nearer the sea than 

 Grange Green, has come very rapidly into the 

 front rank. Other feeders do not bring them 

 in till the end of August, but he keeps his crack 

 beasts in the yards all summer. At the first Torres 

 show, he took the prize for the best bullock ; while 

 Mr. John M'Kessack had it for the best pair of heifers, 

 and cows, as well as for the best cow in the yard. 

 The Society have struck out a very clever plan to in- 

 crease the entries and encourage the attendance of 

 butchers, by giving prizes for the best lot of ten, six, 

 four, two bullocks, &c., both in the three and two- 

 year-old classes. On the other hand, they have neg- 

 lected what ought to be the cardinal rule of all 

 Christmas shows " No knife, no prize" ; and hence 

 "V enus 9th and Ariadne returned to their pastures, 

 like their English sisters, Victoria, Soldier's Bride, 

 Rosette, and Empress of Hindostan before them. 



In both the three-year and two-year-old classes 

 at the show in '64, Mr. Harris had the best single ox, 

 one of them bred by Mr. Garland of Ardlethen, and 

 the other a purchase from Mr. Adam of Ranna. The 



