40 EARLY HISTORY OF ABERDEEN OR ANGUS CATTLE. 



horned. They generally equal the heavier classes of the 

 horned in that respect ; but it is not considered here that 

 their quality is equal to that of the horned when brought to 

 the shambles. All cattle have greatly improved within the 

 last thirty or forty years, owing to the introduction of the tur- 

 nip husbandry, sown grasses, and the general improvements 

 in agriculture. The cattle of this district are well adapted 

 for grazing and the dairy. They are pastured in the fields in 

 summer, and fed with straw and turnips in winter ; sometimes 

 with steamed potatoes. Calves are fed with milk warm from 

 the cow. That is the general practice ; but they are some- 

 times allowed to suck, and in a few instances reared partly 

 upon oil-cake. 



" The present Duke of Gordon has at different times within 

 the last thirty years brought the best selection of bulls and 

 cows that could be found in Galloway into the district. The 

 same also from Argyleshire, the Scottish isles, and the 

 Teeswater from Yorkshire, from which great benefit has 

 arisen, by their increase and mixture with the original stock 

 and with each other ; and his Grace's example has since 

 been extensively followed by agriculturists and breeders of 

 cattie* 



We thus have evidence of a most trustworthy kind, that 

 while undoubtedly the Galloway breed of polled cattle 

 had been introduced into Aberdeenshire about the open- 

 ing of the present century, and that while by the time 

 Youatt had commenced to collect his information the pro- 

 geny of this introduction had increased so much as to 

 form " a large portion of the heavy stock in our markets," 

 there had also been a distinct "variety of the polled 

 cattle" forming "the principal breed" in the "Buchan 

 quarter of Aberdeenshire," where it had " existed time 

 out of mind." Mr Macpherson says the polled cattle were 

 kept chiefly in the low country ; and this, together with 

 his other statements, supplies substantial confirmation not 

 only of the idea that the famous "native low country 

 breed " so highly commended by George Williamson, and 

 the polled cattle which Youatt speaks of, were really the 



