42 FIELD AND FERN. 



Scotland. Nearly all the cattle are Englisli-bred, 

 and the two and three year old shorthorns are gene- 

 rally of the best class, and readily picked up by the 

 Pife and East Lothian farmers. The latter are very 

 fond of '' the Hempton beasts," which are sold at 

 Carlisle at the '' Three Hemptons'^ after the grass. 



About fifteen to eighteen hundred head of cattle 

 generally come to Falkirk October, and are bought 

 up as straw treaders. At the September tryst seve- 

 ral cattle are bought for early beef, and put into 

 reeds or covertings, and get cut grass. Scarcely any 

 Angus beasts come, and the best of the Galloways 

 all go to Norwich fair. The great majority are West 

 Highlanders from the Northern and Western coun- 

 ties and Skye, and, since so much land has been gra- 

 dually given up to deer forests, they have risen very 

 much in price. Three year old bullocks of the breed 

 have fetched j£14 10s., but they vary from £14 to 

 <£9, and tivo-year-olds from £10 to £6 10s., while 

 queys may be generally quoted from 30s. to £1 less ; 

 and stirks of both sexes from .€5 to J3 10s. These 

 figures apply to all the other markets where High- 

 land cattle are sold, snch as Dumbarton, Doune, &c. 

 The shorthorn crosses have a sharp tussle to hold 

 their own with the Irish, which are quite as well 

 bred, and come principally from Meath and Ferma- 

 nagh by ship and steam to Glasgow. They have 

 improved immensely of late years ; and a half-bred 

 poll, which was purchased in ^63 by Mr. Crawfurd of 

 Perth in a lot of twenty-two at .€10 17s. 6d., came 



