382 ABERDEENSHIRE STOCK BREEDING 



most of the stock remained in this country. About 

 that time the Scotch Shorthorn became fashionable in 

 England, and has been largely introduced into all the 

 best herds, but the Cruickshank blood and tradition 

 was worthily continued in its own country by Mr. 

 William Duthie and the Marrs. At the present time 

 there is perhaps a reaction from the Cruickshank cattle 

 in favour of more milking strains, though their sup- 

 porters will not admit that with proper management 

 the Scotch type is inferior in this respect. Aberdeen 

 is also the home of the pre-eminent beef-producing 

 breed the black polled Aberdeen-Angus ; but they 

 live more in the hill country, and, despite their fame 

 in the show-ring and at Smithfield, the Shorthorns 

 possess a great numerical superiority. 



Notwithstanding the presence of these classic herds, 

 the Aberdeenshire farmer is, in the main, a feeder and 

 not a breeder : in the substantial steadings which are 

 found on all the farms he ties up cattle for the winter 

 and feeds them mainly on oat straw and turnips, of 

 which enormous quantities are consumed daily. In 

 the south nothing appears to be gained by giving 

 more than 40 Ib. to 60 Ib. of roots per diem, but the 

 Aberdeenshire turnips possess a special feeding value, 

 and can be fed with success up to a hundredweight 

 or more. They are drawn straight from the fields, 

 where the yellow-fleshed hybrid will keep perfectly 

 sound through the winter until it is succeeded by 

 swedes in March or April. With this great con- 

 sumption of roots a very watery dung is produced, 

 and on the best farms the liquid is run off at once to 

 a tank and carted out for distribution on the grass. 

 We saw one or two examples of the enormous growth 

 that follows such an application of liquid manure. 

 The greater part of the stock thus fattened are Irish 



