SINGER AND DOUGLAS 5 



field had a dairy of the "Lancashire breed." The 

 "Argyleshire breed" was to be found in Rannoch, 

 Glenlyon, Strathfillan, Glenlochay, and on the higher 

 grounds in general. Dr Singer (1812) had a very 

 poor opinion of the cattle stocks of Central Dumfries. 

 From 1740 to 1750, and later, the cattle were mostly 

 horned, and worse than the Galloway " in figure and 

 disposition to feed, and equally below the Teviotdale 

 in size." He does not state what the Teviotdale breed 

 was like. On Roxburgh and Selkirk the Rev. Robert 

 Douglas, D.D., Galashiels, writing in 1798, states, 

 " If ever there was a breed of black cattle peculiar 

 to this county (Roxburgh) it cannot now be distin- 

 guished." The stock were very mixed. Between 

 1820 and 1830 the "Roxburgh" breed began to be 

 much spoken of, even as far north as the Lothians. 

 It was a Shorthorn-Highland cross of an excellent 

 general -purpose order. 



In regard to Selkirk, Dr Douglas notes: "A bull 

 of the Teeswater breed, and remarkably handsome, 

 was brought down a few years ago by Sir John 

 Riddell, Bart. The descendants of this bull are rising 

 to great esteem." After commending the work of 

 improvers, he concludes with, "It is to be hoped this 

 spirit will spread." In the early part of last century 

 Ayrshire cattle were most numerous on the low grounds 

 of Stirlingshire. The Highland breed held the higher- 

 lying parts. Some Shorthorns were tried at that 

 time in Central Ayrshire, and also in Renfrewshire. 



The Shorthorn had sometimes to fight its way 

 against considerable opposition during the last quarter 



