318 FIELD AND FERN. 



landers shook their heads sagely over " those big, 

 painted beasts ;" and every day during the season 

 he might be seen on the carse, with a brace of 

 "long-tails" and an Argus-eyed groom at his heels. 

 The stock was sold off in '45, and, seven years after, 

 his nephew came out with fat beasts, and disposed 

 of the three great Aberdeen batchers, Martin, 

 Stewart, and Knowles, with a Shorthorn-West 

 Highland heifer. After this, the Keir showing 

 took a breeding stock turn, and Shorthorns, 

 Leicesters, pigs, and Clydesdales have gathered 

 nearly one hundred firsts between them, principally 

 at the Royal English, the Highland Society, Glas- 

 gow, the Four Counties, and Stirling. 



The present herd, of which Blencow (11182) of 

 the Gwynne tribe and four or five of the Sweetlips 

 from BoswelFs of Balmuto were the germ, dates 

 from '52. Leader (11674), bred by Milne of 

 Faldonside, was the successor of Blencow, and 

 then Fawkes's John o'Groat (13090) by Bridegroom 

 (11203) joined the herd for 200 gs., after he had 

 been placed second to Master Butterfly at Carlisle. 

 The two roans did not meet at Malton, where 

 " John" was sent by virtue of a stipulation, and the 

 first honours which he won there were confirmed by 

 the silver medal at the Glasgow Society for the best 

 bull in the yard. Next summer he stood first at 

 Salisbury, and earned from Mr. Wetherell, who is 

 by no means d iffuse in his panegyrics, the title of 

 " the finest big bull I have ever seen." We cared very 



