SECRETARY'S REPORT. 107 



in France, four cups, and also the Prince consort's cup at 

 Poissy, at the great French exhibition, valued at iJoOO, for the 

 best ox of any breed, native or foreign. The Emperor Napo- 

 leon paid him 81,375 for a cow and heifer, at the great Paris 

 show of 1856. The breed has been known in Scotland from 

 time immemorial. 



The polled Galloways are not very numerous. Like the 

 preceding, they are also black. They have long been favorites 

 with the English graziers. I saw some hundreds of both these 

 races in my subsequent rambles through the lowlands and the 

 highlands of Scotland. 



The West Highlanders were not shown in very strong force. 

 I saw these also in far greater numbers on their native heaths 

 in the West Highlands, and upon the Hebrides Islands, which 

 I visited in August and September. They did not do them- 

 selves justice at the show. 



But the Ayrshires made a magnificent display. The quali- 

 ties and character of this most valuable breed of dairy animals 

 are too well known to need recapitulation here. We have now 

 among us as good specimens as could be found at the show, 

 with one or two exceptions perhaps as good as could be found 

 in Scotland. They were divided into seven classes, three for 

 bulls, one for cows in milk, one for cows in calf, one for heifers 

 under three, and one for heifers under two years. The number 

 of entries was fifty-six. 



Another interesting feature of the show was to be found in 

 the foreign stock department. Here were the favorites, the 

 flowers of the flocks from the polders of Holland, the plains of 

 Normandy, and the steep, green, mountain slopes of Alpine 

 Switzerland. For the purposes of the English breeder they 

 could not be compared with either of the prominent breeds 

 noticed above, the Shorthorns, the Herefords or the Devons. 

 These breeds are immensely superior. It was not to be expected, 

 of course, that in numbers the foreign exhibitors would come 

 up to the English. The difficulties of transportation were too 

 great, especially for the inland countries. But, no doubt, the 

 selections were made with great care. Indeed, as I afterwards 

 saw all the foreign breeds exhibited upon their native soil, I am 

 sure they were among the best representatives of their various 

 classes. They were the best of their kind. It was fortunate, 



