TORRES TO FOCHABERS. 105 



of Fife's on to the Earl of Moray's property. His 

 lordship's Wester Alves farm is held by Mr. John 

 Mitchell, and, like the adjoining one of Ardgay, is 

 supposed to have the very finest pasturage North of 

 Aberdeen. The high road goes right through the 

 latter farm, whose richest side is on the North. Mr. 

 M'Combie has drawn several of his choicest black 

 stores from it, and paid as high as 29 for a lot of 

 thirty. Many a Highland Society winner has been 

 trained here ; and it was with Fair Maid of Perth, 

 which Mr. Collie bought at the Tillyfour sale for 

 81 gs., that he beat Mr. M'Combie' s own Mayflower 

 for the first cow prize tit Edinburgh. Zarah was also 

 a heifer of his breeding; and it was from her, crossed 

 with Black Prince, that Mr. M'Cornbie bred Kate of 

 Aberdeen, certainly the best calf of any breed that 

 we have ever looked over. 



A gay, wild-eyed roan with a white calf brought our 

 eye back to Shorthorns in the pastures at Old Mills, 

 where Mr. Lawson has a nice herd ; and in front of 

 us, about a mile away, the " sun shines fair" on the 

 cupolas and warmly-tinted sandstone of the Elgin 

 houses. Hard by it is the celebrated Green, where 

 many a shorthorn Waterloo has been fought, and 

 where buyer and seller have set each other like cocks 

 so often, with " The Cock of the North" to look on. 

 There, too, came " The Farmer's Friend" in his 

 simple guise, like an old soldier, always in time, and 

 with a kind greeting and a pleasant story on his lips. 

 Buchan Hero^of the white eyelash had passed away 



