32 



Regarding the vexed subject of twin calves, I should say from 

 pretty extensive observation, that they may occur about once out 

 of several hundred births. 



In Jura the weight of a six year old stag of good quality, 

 on open ground of favourable nature, may sometimes reach 

 15 stone (clean) he would of course be about six years 

 and three months old. 



I have no experience in artificially fed deer. 



Jura deer carry very much heavier coats of hair than Ross- 

 shire deer. Wood stags have especially heavy coats. The Pap 

 stags are very hairy and also light in colour, from living so much 

 in mist. They resemble Harris stags in head and body. Like 

 them, they are most excellent venison. A pretty Royal shot 

 this year weighed 1 1 stone ; he was fat and excellent. We shoot 

 hinds here up to u stone clean weight. 



At Kildermorie (central Ross-shire), we shot hinds up to 12 

 stone clean weight. If stags around Kildermorie had the same 

 chance as Jura stags, instead of being shot at 5 or 6 years old 

 probably they would at least equal Jura stags. Forty years ago 

 there were stags at Kildermorie over 20 stone in weight. 



The sea blasts wither up Jura herbage in early winter ; on the 

 other hand Jura spring feeding is ready earlier than Ross-shire 

 spring feeding. I am unable to state the average weight of Ross- 

 shire hinds, and without that information we can make no com- 

 parison of any value. There may be 12 stone hinds in Jura. We 

 shot far more hinds at Kildermorie than here. The average 

 weight of hinds shot in Jura is about 9 stone, say 8 stone 12 Ib. 



TARBERT. 



" Commercially " stocked with sheep, not too heavily \ say 

 5,000, or i sheep to 5 acres. A healthy farm. Healthier ground 

 than Forest. Deer cannot increase as they would if no sheep 

 were on the farm ; fertility must be less, and drawbacks arising 

 from disturbance must tell against deer, no matter how 

 considerate the shepherds are and we know they treat the 

 deer very well. The heather in Tarbert is very freely burnt, 



