118 FIELD AND FERN. 



Society prizes at Aberdeen, Huntly, Elgin, Aberlour 

 and Dufftown, and other district shows. In ^61 

 Malcolm (269) took two firsts and a second at the 

 Koyal Northern, the Highland Society at Perth, 

 and Elgin ; and when Spey, Fiddoch, and Avonside 

 combined at Craigellachie in ^63, his Prince of Wales 

 was the best of any breed. Still Mr. Bowie's Tom was 

 too much for him in a capital class at Kelso ; but he 

 beat Mr. M'Combie's Rifleman (325) at Aberdeen 

 the next year, and was also first at Stirling in quite 

 a congress of " Princes," to which Sir James Burnett 

 and Mr. Hepburn contributed. However, he was 

 parted with in January last, and his son Sultan 

 reigns in his stead. 



Pig information became rather more lively at Banff. 

 They had spoken mysteriously in Caithness of the " old 

 pig of the country," with long ears and body to cor- 

 respond, and told us how Berkshires, Windsors, and 

 small Yorkshires, and the large black breed or ' ' Nea- 

 politans/' which Sir George Dunbar got from Mr. 

 Wether ell, had gradually worked it out. A Chinese 

 pig of Mr. John Wilson's helped matters here, and 

 so did some boars from Kingcausie. This county is 

 the pork centre north of the Frith of Forth, and pigs 

 from Aberdeen (whose Lunatic Asylum fed them to 

 such a size that the neighbours declared they were 

 " as biff as stirks") are all sent up to it for curing and 

 export. The small white cross from England suits 

 best, and carcases from seven to eight stone of 141bs. 

 neat find the readiest sale to the exporters. Pork 



