SCOTCH SHORTHORNS 381 



annual, or should chiefly consist of " natural " grasses 

 like cocksfoot and Timothy. While the seedsmen's 

 prescriptions and general practice incline to rye grass, 

 the college experiments showed a notable advantage 

 from the use of the natural grasses. 



We are hardly competent to discuss in detail our 

 host's famous herd, one that had been in his family on 

 this and neighbouring farms for three generations ; 

 we were perhaps most impressed by the bull calves 

 getting ready for the annual sale and by the noble 

 cows who formed the foundation of the herd. Heavy 

 coats of full red and deep roan predominated the 

 fashionable colours ; light reds are disliked, and light 

 roans are regarded as more appropriate to a milking 

 herd. Pure whites are also in favour, bulls of that 

 class being wanted farther south to cross with the 

 Galloways and produce the well-known " blue greys " 

 for the feeders. Central Aberdeen is the home of the 

 Scotch Shorthorn ; close by, at Sittyton, Amos 

 Cruickshank about 1840 began to build up his herd, 

 buying somewhat indiscriminately but with a pre- 

 ponderance of Booth blood. He paid little attention 

 to the feud that raged between the supporters of 

 Booth and Bates strains a feud that resulted in the 

 decline of both strains through too close inbreeding 

 and attention to fancy points ; but success did not come 

 to Cruickshank until the birth, about 1860, of one of 

 those outstanding animals, " Champion of England," 

 an example of what might nowadays be described as 

 a mutation, which stamp their own character on 

 all their descendants. In the next twenty years the 

 fame of Cruickshank's herd was firmly established, 

 especially among the American and Argentine buyers ; 

 indeed, the whole herd was purchased in 1889 for 

 export, though the bargain was not completed and 



