THE POLLED GALLOWAYS 



what kind of cattle will please the farmers in Norfolk, by whom they 

 are chiefly prepared for the London market, and to that kind they 

 most carefully adhere. The drover likewise becomes, by his pro- 

 fession, an excellent judge of cattle, which he often purchases in 

 large lots. He is unable to handle half of them, but long practice 

 has taught him to determine at a glance whether they are of equal 

 value and will prove good feeders. 



There is, perhaps, no breed of cattle which can be more truly said 

 to be indigenous to the country, and incapable of improvement by 

 any foreign cross, than the Galloways. The short-horns almost every- 

 where else have improved tlie cattle of the districts to which they 

 have traveled ; at least in the first cross produced manifest improve- 

 ment ; but even in the first cross, the short-horns have done little 

 good in Galloway, and, as a permanent mixture, the choicest southern 

 bulls have manifestly failed. The intelligent Galloway breeder is 

 now perfectly satisfied that his stock can only be improved by adher- 

 ence to the pure breed, and by care in the selection. 



The Galloway cattle are generally very docile. This is a most 

 valuable point about them in every respect. It is rare to find even 

 a bull furious or troublesome. 



During the last fifty years a very great improvement has taken 

 place in the rearing and grazing of cattle in Galloway. Most of the 

 great landholders farm a portion of their own estates, and breed and 

 graze cattle, and some of them very extensively. Agricultural 

 societies have been established in the counties of Kirkcudbright and 

 VVigtott, and all the land-proprietors, and the greater part of the 

 tenants, have become members of them. These societies have been 

 enabled to grant numerous premiums for the best management and 

 rearing of stock, and the consequence has been very considerable 

 improvement in the breed of cattle, on the undeviating principle, 

 however, of selection and adherence to the pure breed. 



COMPARATIVE FEEDING PROPERTIES OF THE SCOTS AM; uEVONS. 



Francis, Duke of Bedford, in 1795, commenced a series of experi- 

 ments to test the feeding properties of tlie various breeds of cattle ; 

 and there were few breeds Avhose relative qualities and value were 

 not put fairly to the test at his estate of Woburn Abbey, and one 

 breed after another was abandoned, until at his death m 1802, he 

 was balancing between the D evens and Here fords. 



His brothei-, who succeeded him, gave preference to the Herefords 

 for feeding, and the West Highlanders for grazing. He abandoned 

 the Devons only as not suiting the soil of Woburn. 



The following are experiments made between Devons and West 

 Highlanders and Galloways. 



