160 THE CATTLE OF GEEAT BRITAIN. 



the beginning of the century, when a Mr. Hugh Watson, of 

 Keillor, established a herd, from which all succeeding breeders 

 derived benefit. He commenced exhibiting in 1810, and for a 

 long period was well nigh invincible, his champion heifer at the 

 Smithfield Show of 1829 was so perfect in outline that she was 

 modelled, and her portrait appears in the volume " Cattle," 

 published by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. 

 An ox, which gained the champion prize at Belfast, was pur- 

 chased by the Prince Consort, and died at the age of seventeen 

 years at the Royal Farm, Windsor. But more remarkable for 

 longevity was the cow, Old Grannie, the first cow in the Polled 

 Herd Book, who died at thirty-five years of age. Mr. Watson 

 had many celebrated animals, but his greatest success was Old 

 Jock, a bull that was never beaten, and was sold in 1844, at the 

 then large figure of 100 guineas. Mr. McCombie himself 

 benefitted largely from the influence of the Keillor bred Angus. 

 Mr. Walker bred many other celebrated animals of their day, 

 including Strathmore, Windsor, Pat, and Second Jock, which 

 last beat all the bulls in a sweepstake at Perth in 1852, when he 

 was over thii'teen years of age. The work of improvement was 

 ably carried on by Mr. Bowie, of Mains of Kelly, to whom Mr. 

 McCombie was indebted for Hanton, who, with Angus and 

 Panmure, he describes as his herd's fortunes. 



A great many prizes fell to Mr. Bowie's herd. And Lord 

 Southesk, who at one time had a most valuable strain, derived 

 great benefit from Mr. Bowie's Cup Bearer. Probably no one 

 did more to make known the merits of Angus Aberdeen cattle 

 than Mr. McCombie himself, whose champion steer at Smith- 

 field, Black Prince, was such a remarkable animal both for scale 

 and symmetry, that he travelled to Windsor for Her Majesty's 

 inspection, and a baron afterwards graced the royal table. And 

 it will be in the memory of our readers, that amongst the last 

 triumphs of the Tillyford herd, was the special prize at the 

 Paris International in 1878 for the best group of beef -producing 

 animals. Amongst other extinct herds must be noticed that of 

 Mr. William Fullerton, first of Ardvie, and afterwards of 

 Ardestre. This celebrated breeder owned Black Meg (766) 

 and the bull Panmure (51), from Brechin Castle; from both 

 descended a host of notabilities ; and Mr. Thos. F. Jamieson^ 



