CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER III. 



ORIGIN AND EARLY HISTORY OP THE POLLED ABERDEEN OR 

 ANGUS CATTLE. 



Scotch domestic cattle derived from aboriginal wild breed — All one 

 variety — Differing according to conditions of life — Origin of polled 

 Aberdeen or Angus breed — Natives of their present home — Loss 

 of horns — When ? — Probably centuries ago — Polled cattle in An- 

 gus in 1752, in 1757, in 1797, and in 1813— Youatt on Angus 

 polled cattle — Polled Galloways in Angus — Polled cattle in Aber- 

 deenshire in last century — Keith and Williamson on Aberdeen- 

 shire cattle — Youatt on ditto — "Native low country" and 

 "Buohan humlies " the same breed — Letter from Mr Macpher- 

 son, Huntly, in 1832 — Polled Galloway cattle in Aberdeenshire 

 — Early polled breeders in Aberdeenshire — Improved breed direct 

 descendants of Angus doddies and Buchan humlies — The latter 

 two same variety — Loss of horns, . . . .25 



CHAPTER IV. 



IMPROVEMENT OF THE BREED. 



Little inducement to improve cattle a hundred years ago — Beef at 

 one penny per pound — Bearing cattle for farm-work — Introduc- 

 tion of Holderness and Fife breeds — Demand for beef — Working 

 cattle abandoned — Improvement of native races — Choice of 

 polled variety as beef cattle — Improvement of polled cattle in 

 Angus — Operations of Mr Hugh Watson, Lord Panmure, Earl of 

 Southesk, Mr William FuUerton, Messrs Mustard, Mr Bowie, 

 and others ^— Improvement of the breed in Kincardineshire — 

 Operations of Mr Walker, Portlethen, and others — Improvement 

 in Aberdeenshire — The efforts of Mr William M'Combie of Tilly- 

 four, and others — Introduction of Shorthorns — The crossing 

 craze — Improvement in Banff and Moray — The BallindaUoch 

 and other herds — Encouragement by Agricultural Societies to 

 improvers of polled cattle — The 'Polled Herd Book' — The 

 Polled Cattle Society, ...... 45 



