288 FIELD AND FERN. 



trucking of some Ayrshire rows, which he had 

 selected for the royal dairy at Balmoral ; and later 

 still, when Her Majesty paid her visit of sympathy 

 to Blair Athole, no pain or weakness could restrain 

 him from accompanying her to the station. Then for 

 the last time his Highlanders heard his voice, as, 

 after kneeling to kiss Her Majesty's hand, he strove 

 to dispel the gloom of that sad parting by giving 

 them the word for three lusty cheers. 



It was as president of the Highland Society in 

 1858-61 that he first took a fancy for farming and 

 Ayrshires, of which her Grace had a few at Dunkeld. 

 A certain number of them always accompanied him to 

 Blair Athole, and he took them with him the first 

 time he ever went there by rail. He left Dunkeld 

 for Blair Athole some months before he died ; but 

 to the last he had a weekly report of the milking 

 and specimens of beetroot, mangel, and kohl-rabi 

 sent to him from his farms at New Tigle and Haugh 

 End. 



The dairy books were kept during his Grace's life- 

 time with the most scrupulous exactness ; and Her 

 Grace the Duchess Dowager, and her friend Miss 

 Murray MacGregor have taken an equal interest in 

 the herd since his decease. The Dunkeld Herd- 

 Book is illustrated with notes on the marks and pro- 

 perties of nearly every cow. Attiquin was the first 

 purchase, but she earned no special mention. The 

 red Premium, "with head and horns very small," is 

 noted as a first-prize taker at Glasgow, and as being 



