MAINS OF ADVIE HERD. 263 



it is characterized by great concentration of blood; and its 

 history reflects credit on the Ballindalloch herd, from which 

 it was derived, and on which it has been mainly built up. 

 The herd was started by Mr Charles Grant about twenty 

 years ago, at a time when it was doubted whether, for a 

 farm like Mains of Advie, situated at a high altitude, 

 without much shelter, and in a late, cold, and inclement 

 district, any breed except the shaggy Highlanders could be 

 reared with profit. Mr Grant's success in his enterprise 

 undoubtedly stimulated the breeding of polled cattle in the 

 district ; and it is probable that to his efforts more than to 

 any other circumstance may be ascribed the transforma- 

 tion that has occurred in the class of stock now found in 

 the Grantown markets, which are resorted to for store 

 cattle from many quarters of the north of Scotland. In 

 1862 Mr Grant purchased a polled cow from the herd 

 of Sir George Macpherson Grant at Ballindalloch. Few 

 people then paid much attention to pedigree, and Mr 

 Grant asked for no information regarding the animal ac- 

 quired by him, being quite satisfied that, coming from 

 Ballindalloch, her breeding must be satisfactory, and that 

 individually she was of more than ordinary merit. This 

 cow was entered in vol. iv. of the ' Herd Book ' as Old Eose 

 of Advie 3104, calved 1859, bred by Sir George Mac- 

 pherson Grant, sire Craigo 260, dam a pure polled cow. 

 Craigo, we may recall, was after a bull bred at Balwyllo, 

 and out of a cow bred at Keillor. When purchased, Old 

 Eose was in calf to King Charles 236, bred at Kinnaird, a 

 son of Druid 225 and Kathleen 339. The produce in 1862 

 was Eose of Advie 3105. In 1866 Eose 3105 was sent to 

 Ballindalloch and mated with the famous bull Trojan 402, 

 a half-brother on the dam's side to Pride of Aberdeen 581, 

 being out of the Paris cow Charlotte 203, and after Black 

 Prince of Tillyfour 366. From this union came Dandy of 

 Advie 3106. Dandy is now fifteen years old, is still in the 

 herd, and has bred some wonderfully good stock. She is 



