AYR TO DUMFRIES. 307 



array, black and tan Gordon setters,, three or four of 

 them prize winners, and liver-and-white pointers for 

 the Kilkerran muirs, which stretch miles away be- 

 hind from Barr to Straiten. The late Duke of 

 Athole's herd of West Highlanders, which were 

 displaced at Blair Athole by the Breadalbanes, wan- 

 dered in dun, red, and cream array among the mea- 

 dows on one side of the river Girvan, and as many 

 Ayrshires on the other. Among the latter is Arabell, 

 one of the nrst-prize takers at Battersea, and bought 

 for 57 gs. at the first Merryton sale, along with the 

 red- and -white Beauty. The dairymaid was uncom- 

 monly sweet on her, and drove up the more Here- 

 ford-coloured Blossom, to show what a neat pair they 

 made. The first-prize bull at Maybole, and the first 

 prize one at Kelso, also stood side by side in the byre, 

 while a group of Bretonnes outside lent their tiny 

 aid to the dairy. 



Between Kilkerran and Girvan we rode through 

 rich bean and wheat land, in the midst of which is 

 " the ga,rden farm,^' as it is called, of Girvan Mains, 

 which owes not a little to sea-wrack manure. As we 

 pass the ruined church of Old Dailly, and the way- 

 side stone which tells where John Aikin died, we 

 may well revert to Old Mortality or Edie Ochil« 

 tree laying aside his stafi" and wallet, and calmly 

 yielding up his spirit. After this it was quite a 

 rocky sea-coast route past the gates of Ardmillan with 

 the hooded eagles, where Lord Ardmillan passes his 

 learned leisure. Half-bred lambs and Ayrshires 



2x2*^ 



