EDINBUUGH TO THE ROMAN CAMP. 93 



tlirough Perthf Battersea, Kelso, and Stirling we 

 reach our own times. 



The winter show of fat stock was renewed at Edin- 

 burgh in the off j'car of ^53^ with .£300 of prizes^ but 

 with entries not much greater in extent than they had 

 been thirty years before. A West Highlander kept 

 up the old Keir charter, and both Mr. Stirhng and 

 Mr. Knov/les had rare oxen at Glasgow the next year. 

 With these two efforts, v/hich entailed a heavy loss 

 on the Society, it fell through once more, but 

 was taken up again by the Messrs. Swan on their 

 own account at Edinburgh in 1855. Last Christmas 

 there were twelve well-filled classes for cattle, and 

 five for sheep, the winner in each receiving two-thirds 

 of the entrance-money, and the second one-third. 

 The Cattle Cup of 10 gs. was won by Messrs. Martin 

 of Aberdeen with their cross-bred ox, and the five- 

 guinea Sheep Cup by Mr. Thorburn of Juniper 

 Bank, Inverlethen, for his pen of Cheviot .wedders, 

 which sold at 95s. all round. There were also classes 

 for dairy cows fed in Edinburgh, some of which made 

 c€25 each ; while M'Combie's blacks, and not his 

 best, went for 75s. the hundred-weight. 



The vrhole framework of the Society is condensed 

 into its annual book of premiums. Taking that for 

 1865, we find Class I. given up to reports. These are 

 subdivided again into sections ^' On Subjects con- 

 nected with the Science and Practice of Agricul- 

 ture,'^ " Woods and Plantations,^^ " Land Impj'ove- 

 ments,^^ and ''^ Agricultural jVIachinery," i.e., ^^In- 



