THE WEST HIGHBINDERS. 45 



shifting the cattle, the pasture is kept as much as possible in eatable 

 condition, that is, neither eaten too bare, nor allowed to get too rank, 

 or to run into seed. 



In the winter and the spring all the cattle except the breeding 

 cows are fed in the fields ; the grass of which is preserved from the 

 12 th of August to the end of October. When these in closures be- 

 come bare, about the end of December, a little hay is taken into the 

 field, with turnips or potatoes, once or twice in the day, according to 

 circumstances, until the middle or end of April. Few of the farmers 

 ha^ve these roots to give them, and the feeding of the out-lying cattle 

 with straw is quite abolished. If any of them, however, are very 

 materially out of condition, they are fed with oats in the sheaf. At 

 two, or three, or four years old, all except the heifers retained for 

 breeding are sent to market. 



There is no variety of breeds of cattle in the Hebrides. They are 

 pure West Highlanders. Indeed, it is the belief of the Hebridean 

 farmer, that no other cattle will thrive on these islands, and that 

 the Kyloes could not possibly be improved by being crossed with any 

 others. He appeals to his uniform experience, and most correctly so 

 in the Hebiides, that attempts at crossing have only destroyed the 

 symmetry of the Kyloes, and rendered them more delicate, and less 

 suitable to the climate and the pasture. 



By selection from the choicest of the stock, the West Highlander 

 has been materially improved. The Islay, the Isle of Skye, and 

 the Argylesliire beast, readily obtains a considerably higher price 

 than any other cattle reared in the Highlands of Scotland. Mr 

 M'Neil has been eminentl)^ successful in his attempts to improve the 

 native breed. He has often obtained £100 for three and four-year-old 

 bulls out of his stock ; and for one bull he received £200. He never 

 breeds from bulls less than three years, or more than ten years old ; 

 and he disapproves, and rightly in such a climate, of the system of 

 breeding in and in. He also adheres to that golden rule of breeding, 

 the careful selection of the female ; and, indeed, it is not a small sum 

 that would induce the Hebridean farmer to part with any of his 

 picked cows. 



It is true that grazing has never been the principal object of the 

 Hebridean farmer, or has scarcely been deemed worthy of his atten- 

 tion. 



It will be concluded from what we have said of the milking pro- 

 perties of the Kyloe, that the dair)'- is consideied as a matter of little 

 consequence in the Hebrides ; and the fai-mer rarely keeps more 

 milch cows than will furnish his family with milk and butter and 

 cheese. The Highland cow will not yield more than a third part of 

 the milk that is obtained from the Ayrshire one at no great distance 

 on the main land ; but that milk is exceedingly rich, and the b.itter 

 procured from it is excellent. 



