266 SHORTHORNS 



in use, Secret Signal (145,342), a handsome light 

 roan, bred at Cromleybank and by Prince of Orange 

 (117,052), out of Secret llth by the famous Royal 

 Crown (84,598). 



Mr Dykes, who owns his farm, is handicapped to 

 some extent in bringing out his cattle by a late 

 district. His steading is about 700 feet above sea- 

 level, and most of the soil is over boulder-clay. In 

 autumn the stock have a great appearance for hair. 

 Some hedges break the sleety blasts which come early 

 across the neighbouring moors, but Mr Dykes is 

 frequently enough reminded by critical friends that 

 he is not in a " Shorthorn country." Still, the herd 

 is a credit to its owner, and to the wonderfully 

 accommodating nature of the breed. The cows have 

 sweet heads and generally excellent bags of milk. 

 The much-admired red bull Emmeline's Beau (136,405), 

 with which Mr W. T. Malcolm was so prominent in 

 the prize lists last season, was bred at Priestgill, his 

 sire being Rosemary Beau and his dam the old cow 

 by Mercury's Farewell. For some years the late Mr 

 John Watson bred a few Shorthorns of the Clara, 

 Bra with Bud, and Graceful families, and Mr David 

 Stewart of Blantyre Park has been keeping a small 

 collection descended from Mr Charles E. Law's Grace- 

 ful 21st by Baron Broadhooks (101,398). 



In the Shorthorn sense Mr Dykes occupies an 

 isolated position. He is aloof from the thrill and 

 stimulus of the red-white-and-roan breeders, and yet 

 he has evolutionary pleasures of his own near the 

 hills. His herd is one of the many examples of 



