EOCHABERS TO SITTYTON. 139 



with Pro-bono-publico by Matadore as their esquire, 

 to Earl Clancarty, in Ireland : but now, as a general 

 thing, the brothers only sell a few heifer calves 

 to run out the less valuable tribes, and keep about 

 thirty to supply gaps. They have had as many as 

 108 calves, and have sold about 80 in one season, as 

 they very rarely make bullocks of them. The an- 

 nual bull roup was commenced in 1842 with seven 

 or eight lots, and has been continued every October 

 since. About five-and- thirty bull calves, varying 

 from five to nine months, are generally disposed of 

 at it, and five-and-twenty more are the subject of 

 private bargain. At the roup, which is held on the 

 first or second Thursday in October, 44 8s. for 

 twenty-four in 1861 is so far the highest average. 

 Fairfax Hero, Magnum Bonum, King of Sar- 

 dinia, Challenge Cup, and Conqueror the top prices 

 in 1847, '53, '56, '61, and '64 averaged within a 

 shilling of 100 ; and Magnum Bonum still leads at 

 115 10s. Vine Dresser and Lord Aberdeen, which 

 were sold privately within those periods, would, curi- 

 ously enough, have brought up the average to the 

 same point less a shilling, for seven. Some go to 

 Ireland and the Orkneys, and the rest are scattered 

 over all the northern counties from Caithness to For- 

 far. 



The calves always run with their dams from four 

 to five months if they are heifers, and rather longer, 

 on an average, if they are bulls. Except at Udny 

 Castle there is no old pasture land on the three 



