HIGHLAND SHOWS IN 1868 AND 1869. 357 



first Highland Society's prize-wiuners, iucluding Baron 

 Settrington 356, the first yearling at Dumfries iu 1870, 

 as well as leading two-year-old at Perth in 1871 ; Duke 

 of Perth 357, second aged buU at Stirling in 1873, and 

 first at Glasgow in 1875 ; and Duchess 4th 944, the first 

 two-year-old heifer at Kelso in 1872. 



"The three -year -old Castle Fraser cow Lily 1114, 

 looking blooming and ladylike, took the lead worthily in 

 a good class of cows at the Highland show at Aberdeen 

 in 1868, where Mina 1009 got the gold medal, and would 

 have been able for something more if permitted to try 

 for it. The two-year-old heifer class was noteworthy, in 

 respect that it contained the first animal that was sent 

 from the Drumin herd of Mr Skinner to the Highland 

 Society's shows. This was a remarkably good heifer, 

 nicely rounded in rib, well slanted in shoulder, and 

 displaying a beautiful head and neck. If not long 

 pedigreed, she had all the polled characteristics, and was 

 shown in very high condition. She won the first ticket ; 

 and since then, with a trifling exception or two, the 

 Drumin herd has been annually one of the best contri- 

 butors to the national show. The Aberdeen heifer did not 

 by her breeding properties augment the herd. Her rare 

 symmetry and quality captivated the late Mr M'Combie's 

 eye, and she went to Tillyfour for fat show purposes, 

 where, however, she was not after all very fortunate. 



"At the Edinburgh Highland show in 1869 there 

 was numerically a smaller turnout of blacks, but merit 

 did not sufi'er thereby. Clansman 398, as already ex- 

 plained, took the coveted ticket for aged bulls to Eothie- 

 may. In the two-year-old bull class there was a serious 

 derangement of anticipations. March 3 5 5, from Wester- 

 town, who had just returned from first honours at the 

 Manchester Eoyal show, was expected by several breeders 

 to keep liis place. But no. The judges — a majority of 

 them old Angus men — would not have his head at any 



