ABERDEEN TO STONEHAVEN. 183 



made his deliveries like lightning if any one tried 

 to touch him ; and there was a council of four tall 

 footmen over him for minutes on the platform before 

 he was snared and hoisted with a jerk into the 

 " dog-case" of the very last carriage. 



We did not care to work up towards Ballater and 

 Brasmar after the "West Highlanders, as we were going 

 to touch them at three other places. West High- 

 landers or crosses with them begin to prophesy of 

 themselves when you get beyond Kingcausie, seven 

 miles up the Deeside. Up to that point, the dairy, 

 which is supplied by shorthorn crosses, blacks, and, 

 in short, anything with an udder, has the pastures 

 pretty well to itself. Sir James Burnett, the owner 

 of the second prize Stirling bull "Prince," is true to 

 the Keillor polls at Crathes Castle ; and Mr. John 

 Ross, of Park near Crathes has been rewarded for his 

 101-guinea venture at Kinnellar by first prizes both 

 at Banchory and Aberdeen. 



The dairy system comes in again along the coast as 

 far as Portlethen, where we get among the twenty 

 parishes of Kincardiiieshire. Fifty years ago, the 

 greatest portion of Portlethen was all whin and 

 moor> and fed no sheep whatever ; but the reign 

 of turnips has gradually extended, and hundreds 

 of acres are now let for hogging black-faces off 

 the Grampians. The Messrs. Welsh, father and 

 son, of Inchbreck and Tillitoghills, and Gibb, of 

 Bridge of Dye, are by far the largest sheep breeders 

 and feeders in the county, and have, it is said, flocks of 



