318 FIELD AND FERN. 



day wliicli precedes St. Faith's, the chief Galloway 

 gathering in Norfolk. Once the " St. Faith's cattle'^ 

 were bought up under that name all over the 

 Stewartry, but much fewer go there now^ and they 

 are kept and fed olF in the district, where every store- 

 keeper expects to get at least £7 a. year for the two 

 years he keeps them. Stewart's Auction Mart in 

 Dumfries does a great business at 3d. in the pound 

 for every sheep, and 4d. for cattle, and its proprietor 

 also gives prizes at Christmas for fat stock. 



We stopped at Dalbeattie with a view to going 

 round by Southwick, and also specially to have 

 another view of our old Kelso friend Semiramis, in 

 her home at Meikleculloch. Mr. Graham's farm is 

 about 2-2- miles from Dalbeattie.. He came here in 

 1843 from Cubby Hill, and began to build up a herd 

 from eight cows. A sort of Roman encampment be- 

 hind his house, and fully 460 feet above the sea 

 level, was a tempting object for a climb, and, only paus- 

 ing to look at a young bay Wattie ©'Harden, of that 

 old genuine Stitcher blood which has won in many 

 a Border ring, we soon planted our M'^Combie hazel 

 staff on the summit. Meadow, moss, and arable, all 

 struggle for the lead in the valley, which tapers away 

 towards the little V-shaped opening in the distant 

 hills, which tells of the road to Dumfries. Ayrshires 

 and Galloways seem to have a divided empire. Half- 

 bred hoggs and blackfaced v/edders were folded on 

 the turnips, and a powerful Dollond might have re- 

 vealed in those woolly groups some Cheviot and 



