302 EXISTING SCOTCH HERDS. 



Strocherie. 



The ancestors of Mr George Barclay, now in Strocherie, 

 Kin>T Edward, who are known to have been farmers at 

 Yonderton and Auohmill for considerably over 200 

 years, during that long period bred the native cattle of 

 Aberdeenshire. They were not at first all polled, several 

 having been homed ; nor were they all black, there having 

 been also red, brindled, and brown, with a red stripe from 

 top of tail to shoulder. It is now fifty years since the 

 horned cattle disappeared. There are still in the herd 

 descendants of the original stock, but they are not, 

 perhaps, the best in it. By some very judicious pur- 

 chases representatives of three of the best-known families 

 of the breed are now in creditable numbers at Strocherie. 

 At the sale at TiUyfour in 1860, Mr Barclay paid 32 

 guineas for the one-year-old heifer Matilda of Yonderton 

 1712, after Hanton 228, and out of Lola Montes 208, 

 being thus a half-sister on the dam's side to the famous 

 Paris cow, Charlotte 203. Matilda has founded a valuable 

 race of this branch of the Queen tribe. At Mr M'Combie's 

 sale in 1874, Mr Barclay bought Euth 2nd 1783, out of 

 Euth of Tillyfour 1169, descended from the Keillor cow 

 Favourite 2, for 70 guineas. She has also bred welL At 

 the same sale, Naomi 2445, from the Easter TuUoch stock, 

 was purchased. Carina 3379, representing the Ballin- 

 dalloch Sybil tribe, was bought at Mr Hannay's sale in 

 1877. At the Fyvie dispersion in 1881, three good cows 

 were purchased. Sires have been got from Tillyfour, 

 Easter Skene, Mountblairy, Westertown, Balwyllo, Mul- 

 ben, etc. One of the latest used was Albany 1354, bred 

 at Easter Skene, after Bachelor 690, and out of Youn" 

 Grizzle 1807. There are usually from twenty to twenty- 

 five cows in the herd, which has been most carefully 

 managed since Mr Barclay took charge of it thirty-five 

 years ago. 



