TORRES TO POCHABERS. 103 



began to show during the last two years, at first 

 merely at Elgin and Torres, and then he pushed his 

 way with no small success to the Highland Society, 

 Bingley Hall, and Islington, Thirteen firsts, six se- 

 conds, and a third make up his winnings so far. Two 

 of the firsts were for a shorthorn bull and a Leicester 

 tup; and the beautiful forelegs of the roan cross-bred 

 heifer which won at Smithfield were dilated on by the 

 shorthorn men with no small delight. 



At Balnaferry, which lies about a mile out of 

 Torres, we found fifteen shorthorns and their calves. 

 Venus 9th, with her fine red frame and grand bosom, 

 has been the queen wherever she has been shown, and 

 there were plenty of lusty youngsters to testify to 

 Privy Seal (18642). The herd is of about ten years' 

 standing, and its earliest patriarch was Mr. Geddes* 

 Randolph (15128), who took his first-class degree at 

 Elgin (which seems the touchstone of bulls in these 

 parts), backed up by Fair Service of Shethin blood, who 

 brought in the reds, and Privy Seal, from Hill Head. 



Royal Seal (20750) by Privy Seal from Venus 9th, 

 is now in residence, and so is Fashion of the Booth 

 blood, who was bred by the Duke of Montrose, and 

 commended at the Newcastle Royal. Ariadne resem- 

 bles Pride of Southwicke in her colour, and owes 

 much of her Knightley style to her Bosquet dam; 

 the three-year-old Lady Elma by Lord Elgin, and so 

 back to Lawson's Chief (another Elgin winner), has 

 been first in her class three summers in succession ; 

 and Cowslip by Privy Seal is following hard after her. 



