214 FIELD AND FERN. 



highest request. They are of all ages from six 

 months to a year, and cost from 4 to 7. Jack- 

 son, who has a park at Guthrie, will bring down five 

 or six hundred, and Luke Land has a good supply 

 as well. Some yearlings, which range from ,8 to 

 11, share the trucks with them, and throughout 

 September up to the middle of October a very brisk 

 trade goes on. Some of the heifers are kept on 

 to breed from; and one farmer in Aberdeenshire 

 lately purchased more than forty for this pur- 

 pose. 



Cross- cow breeding is on the increase ; but many 

 farmers seem to use anything with a hide and a 

 stomach ; and North of Aberdeen more especially 

 there was too often a sad lack of loins among both 

 pure shorthorn and cross-bred beasts. As for a 

 Water Esk beast, it is frequently a compound 

 of Shorthorn, Poll, and West Highlander. It is 

 great fun starting a regular doddy cynic upon 

 the Yorkshire question j and " rough things, heifers 

 and bulls all grouped together, and not two 

 inches of spine the same level among the lot/' is 

 the invariable commentary. " As for colour, " 

 says another of these unwavering ebony standard- 

 bearers, "I tell my friends they ought to gefc a 

 green bull, and then they'll be all round the rain- 

 bow." 



" Pass on, Traveller, safe and free of toll/ 3 is the 

 inscription on Northwater Bridge, which boasts of 

 three architects. After sleeping at Montrose, we 



