100 AMERICAN CATTLE. 



objections to the Highland breed. Thence it happened that, in 

 process of time, the horned breed decreased, and was at length 

 quite superseded by the polled ; except that, now and then, to 

 show the uncertainty of the derivation of the breed, a few of 

 the Galloways would have diminutive horns, but these were of 

 a very curious nature, for they were attached to the skin and 

 not to the skull. 



" The agriculture of Galloway, like tliat of every part of 

 Scotland, was in a sadly deplorable state until about 1786, when 

 the Earl of Selkirk became desirous of effecting some improve- 

 ment in the management of his estates, both in the shire and 

 the stewartry. He was, however, too far advanced in life to 

 engage personally in the business, and he delegated the whole 

 management of his property to one of his sons, Lord Daer. 



" This young nobleman entered enthusiastically into the views 

 of his father, and although he encountered much opposition, and 

 many a difficulty, from the ignorance and prejudice of the ten- 

 antry, he was beginning to possess the satisfaction of witnessing 

 the accomplishment of several of his projects, when he was 

 carried off by consumption, at the age of thirty. His plans, 

 however, were adopted and zealously pursued by his brother, 

 who succeeded to the earldom, and Galloway owes much of its 

 prosperity to these liberal and patriotic noblemen. 



"In addition to the Selkirk family, we may reckon among the 

 most zealous and successful improvers of the breed of Galloway 

 cattle, the Murrays of Broughton, the Herons of Kirrouchtrie, 

 the Gordons of Greenlaw, the Maxwells of Munches, and the 

 Maitlands in the valley of Tarff in Kirkcudbright; and in 

 Wigton, the Earls of Galloway, the Maxwells of Mouneith, the 

 iM'Dowals of Logan, the Cathcarts of Genoch, the Hathoms of 

 Castle- Wig, and the Stewarts of Pliygell. 



"For much of the description of the Galloway beast, and for 

 the greater part of our account of the management of the cattle 



