278 FIELD AND FERX. 



the night before, and were all made under Mrs. 

 Andrew Hendrie^s superintendence, and each of the 

 five lassies, when they were called in to don them, 

 received half-a-sovereign from his Grace. Brown 

 stockings, white crazy {Aiir/lice, sun-bonnet), light- 

 grey drugget petticoat, grey-striped apron, dark and 

 light alternately, and hlue-and-white-striped short 

 gown, were the pretty combination. Messrs. Dren- 

 nan, Telfer, and Smith were the milking judges. To 

 look at, Glengall was the coarsest cow of the lot, and 

 although the above was her average at lOlbs. to the 

 gallon for ten milkings, she was not nearly up to 

 what she achieved in the Duke^s hands at Athole."^ 

 His Grace gave £26 for her that day, and he also 

 bought Ochiltree and Lily, at £1 for each pound of 

 milk. 



Not more than a fourth of the Ayrshire farmers 

 have bowers, whereas in Dumfriesshire and Galloway 

 the management is fully half and half. The bowers 

 pay from .£6 or 10 st. of cheese and upwards, accord- 

 ing to pasture, climate, and soil, which is considered 

 best on a freestone bottom. Many ploughmen look 

 upon it as their highest promotion to marry dairy- 

 maids and be off to a bowing. They generally find the 

 milkers and herdsmen, and the owner the food. If a 

 farmer finds bean-meal and green-cut corn for his 

 bower, he expects more cheese, and, in fact, the quan- 

 tity of cheese always depends upon the style of 

 feeding. There is sharp watching for fodder on the 



* See part " North," page 290. 



