OF THE SADDLE AND SIRLOIN CLUB 303 



AN IDEAL SCOT 



117. The death of James Ironside Davidson on February 15, 

 1902, at his beautiful home near Balsam, Ontario, removed from 

 the roll of Canadian purebred stockbreeders one of its most prom- 

 inent, successful and interesting figures. Mr. Davidson was a 

 man of sterling character and unsullied honor, of splendid phy- 

 sique and kindly disposition; his genial manner numbering on 

 his list of friends a host of lovers of good livestock in Canada, 

 the United States and Scotland. Mr. Davidson's specialties in 

 stockbreeding were Clydesdale horses and Shorthorn cattle, he 

 was a safe and sound judge of both classes, a successful importer 

 and breeder, and a liberal and judicious feeder. He enjoyed the 

 personal friendship and confidence of Amos Cruickshank (89) 

 and for some years was the principal importer and distributor of 

 the Sittyton cattle on this side of the Atlantic. 



Mr. Davidson was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in 1818 

 and emigrated to Canada in 1842. His first agricultural invest- 

 ment was in his farm where he built himself a good log house, 

 and prepared a stable for a $165 team of horses, six cattle and 

 four sheep. The six cattle cost him $80. Mr. Davidson remarked 

 that these were "no very high prices, but when I had the progeny 

 to sell, it reminded me of a friend of mine who often told me 

 he was a good buyer; few could buy as quick as he, but he never 

 was a good hand at selling." Mr. Davidson experienced the 

 same difficulty in this new country. He had paid cash for his 

 purchases, but in order to sell had to give credit or take articles 

 he did not want. He lost no opportunity to improve his stock 

 by the use of the best animals he could find, and electrified his 

 neighbors by selling a three-year-old steer just ofiF the grass, 

 to the Toronto butcher, Mr. John Clark, for the cash sum of 

 $50. So pleased was Mr. Clark, by his purchase that he recom- 

 mended Mr. Davidson to feed some animals for Christmas and 



