EARLY HERDS IN KINCARDINESHIRE. 59 



large and excellent herd, which will be found fully noticed 

 later on. 



The Howe o' Mearns, in Kincardineshire, a continua- 

 tion of the Vale of Strathmore, has also had a share in 

 the producing and improving of the polled Aberdeen or 

 Angus breed. Formerly, polled cattle were more numerous 

 amongst the farmers of Kincardineshire than now. Mr 

 William Fullerton, who assisted in awarding the prizes at 

 upwards of thirty shows in the county, states that he did 

 not think that any time since 1833 there were, relatively 

 speaking, more than one-fourth as many doddies in Mearns 

 as in Angus, but adds that he had seen twenty-five polled 

 cows in the "bught" adjudicating ring at Fettercairn 

 which would have done honour to any county. Foremost 

 amongst the improvers of the breed in Kincardineshire 

 must be placed the late Mr Eobert Walker, Portlethen 

 Mains, near Aberdeen, who for more than half a century 

 occupied a leading position, not only as a breeder of polled 

 cattle, but also as an advanced agriculturist generally. 

 He founded his herd in 1818, and continued it with much 

 success till his death in 1874. He bred and owned many 

 noted animals, including the show-yard heroes Fox Maule 

 305, and Banks of Dee 12. In one season the descendant 

 of the latter bull gained no fewer than seven first prizes 

 and one second. Referring to Mr Walker's success in the 

 show-yard, Mr M'Combie, in ' Cattle and Cattle-Breeders/ 

 says : " It would be endless to attempt to sum up his vic- 

 tories local, national, and international, they are spread 

 over such a large surface." Among the others in Kincar- 

 dineshire who took a leading part in the improvement of 

 polled cattle were the late Mr Hector, Fernyfl att ; his son- 

 in-law, the late Mr Glennie, Ferny flatt; the late Sir Thomas 

 and the late Sir Alexander Burnett, Barts. of Leys ; Colonel 

 M'Inroy, The Burn ; and the late Sir John Stuart Forbes, 

 Bart, of Pitsligo, Fettercairn House, who gave substantial 

 encouragement and assistance to Mr Eavenscroft in start- 



