nioTTLAXD SCOT.] CATTLE, AND THEIR VARIETIES. [iiuini-AND bcot. 



her hardihood, as sho can resist an atmosphere 

 beneath tlio storms of which a delicate low- 

 hiiul animal would siioi'uinb. Her liviiicf, too, 

 is extremely hard. It consists of the patches 

 of short grass which she gathers amoii'j; the 

 heath, moss, and even sometimes sea-weed. In 

 winter, when even this sort of provender is 

 scarce, Kyloes are sometimes assisted with a 

 few oatmeal balls, which, if they have any reflec- 

 tive instincts, they must consider as a sort of 

 providential dispensation. From such kind of 

 feeding much produce is not to be expected; 

 consequently, the supplies of both butter and 

 cheese are miserably small — thirty-two pounds 

 of the former, per annum, is tho produce of 

 one llebridean cow. Of the latter, from 

 ninety to one hundred pounds is the average 

 yield, and this is finely flavoured with aromatic 

 herbs, peculiarly agreeable to the palates of 

 many individuals. 



ARGYLESIIIRE CATTLE. 



In the north of Argyleshire, tho cattle are 

 larger than those of the Hebrides, and are 

 bred to the full size which tho pasturage will 

 admit, and the good qualities of the animal 

 bear, without deterioration. It is in this dis- 

 trict that the most perfect Highland cattle 

 are to be frequently seen. The animals are 

 compactly built, short, and rather strong in 

 the shank ; straight in the back ; with a fine 

 muzzle ; and small sharp horns. As they 

 wander over a wild country, they are them- 

 selves wild, and often fierce, and their eye 

 expresses energy and spirit. It is solely for 

 their flesh that herds of them are reared. 

 "Every effort," says Mr. Touatt, "to qualify 

 them for the dairy, will not only lessen their 

 hardiness of constitution and propensity to 

 fatten, but will fail in rendering them valuable 

 for the purpose at which the farmer foolishlv 

 aims." 



THE HIGHLAND SCOT. 



'Ihe Highland Scot belongs to a long-horned 

 breed, and stands next to the Hereford as a 

 fattening animal ; and where both the Hereford 

 and the short-horned races would die from 

 absolute starvation, it will clothe its loins with 

 flesh, and look as comfortable as if it were the 

 finest-fed quadruped in the land. Like all 

 mountain races, the Highland Scot delights in 

 Ircedom. To browse on tho side or the summit 



of tho hill is, to him, like "a joy for ever;" 

 whilst his eminently -gregarious hnhits force him 

 into tho bovine sociuty of his neighbourj ; so 

 that, if ho has any cares, he lightens their 

 weight by tho pleasuresof association. Although 

 ho is extremely hardy, his size is rather small 

 than largo; and his usual colour is a light dun 

 or a jet-black, rarely with white on any part of 

 the body. His horns aro long, and have aa 

 upward and outward turn. Ilis skin is covered 

 with a sort of fleece rather than hair, being 

 long and soft, with a strong inclination to curl. 

 lie takes on his beef principally on the back, 

 which is therefore straight, while his body has 

 a considerable degree of rotundity. It is not 

 the least of his peculiarities that ho obtains, 

 from tho surface of tho sterile mountain, as 

 much grass as ho can fatten upon; or, at all 

 events, preserves himself in good living con- 

 dition. If he is indulged and tended with some 

 little care, he increases in fat very rapidly, and 

 repays his breeder by the excellence of his beef. 

 Under such circumstances, the Highland Scot 

 will weigh from forty-eight to fifty stones, and 

 some have even attained to the weight of 

 seventy. There are special exceptions, how- 

 ever, to this rule. The Duke of Northumber- 

 land had a very promising Argyleshire " stoc," 

 or bullock, which he kept as long as he could, 

 to see what he would weigh. He was five and 

 a-half years old, and weighed, exclusive of 

 v)fral, 100 stones 4 lbs. Though, perhaps, one 

 of the heaviest of the breed ever slaughtered, 

 he was neither the fattest nor the most inac- 

 tive, but seemed in that state to display all the 

 activity possessed by his race whilst wandering 

 over their native hills. 



The rearing of this animal was by no moans 

 remarkable for its extravagance. In the first 

 winter he was turned out to a poor pasture, 

 and had a little bad hay, till summer returned, 

 when ho had again poor land pasture. Tiie 

 next winter he was turned again to the same 

 kind of pasture, which was, however, varied 

 with a few turnips. During the following 

 summer he had average pasture, and the same 

 pasture in winter, with ainore liberal allowance 

 of turnips. The third summer he was tolerably 

 well grazed; and in the fourth winter ho had 

 as many turnips as he could eat in the sheltered 

 straw fold. In the summer in which he was 

 fatted, he had all the indulgence of a feeding 



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