62 
Shorthorns  in  Scotland  and  Ireland. 
horns  consisted  chiefly  of  the  black  horned  and  black  polled 
varieties.  The  crosses  between  Shorthorn  bulls  and  cows  of 
these  native  races  are  usually  reckoned  to  be  as  good  at  two 
years  old  as  the  old  unimproved  cattle  were  at  three  years  old. 
Mr.  W.  S.  Marr,  of  Uppermill,  states  that  after  a short  trial  the 
Aberdeenshire  farmers  took  very  favourably  to  the  Shorthorns, 
and  that  the  improvement  effected  through  the  influence  of  the 
breed  was  everywhere  most  marked  and  rapid,  the  native  cattle 
having  been  improved  in  size,  form,  quality,  and  early  maturity. 
“ Before  the  introduction  of  Shorthorns,”  adds  Mr.  Marr,  “ the 
common  price  of  two-year-old  cattle  in  spring  was  about  81. ; 
now  the  cattle  the  same  age  bring  over  20/.  I believe  the 
Shorthorn  cross  might  be  matured  in  about  half  the  time  the 
unimproved  cattle  used  to  require.  My  own  first  Shorthorn  bull, 
which  was  bred  by  Captain  Barclay,  and  used  at  Uppermill  on 
common  Buchan  polled  heifers,  which  were  bought  by  me, 
rising  two  years  old,  at  7/.  ahead,  produced  a lot  of  uncommonly 
good  cattle,  the  heifers  of  which  were  sold  when  thirty  months 
old  at  20/.  each,  and  the  bullocks  when  thirty-four  months  old  at 
26/.  a head.  These  were  considered  very  great  prices  in  those 
days— about  forty  years  ago.” 
The  improvement  which,  since  the  use  of  Shorthorn  bulls 
commenced,  has  taken  place  in  the  cattle  bred  and  reared  in 
some  of  the  higher  lying  and  more  inland  districts  of  the  north- 
eastern counties,  is  indeed  remarkable.  It  is  not  to  be  claimed, 
of  course,  that  the  whole  of  this  great  improvement  is  due  to 
Shorthorns.  Various  influences,  such  as  the  inherent  but  hitherto 
undeveloped  good  properties  of  the  native  stock  of  cows,  the 
increase  in  turnip  husbandry,  and  improvement  in  the  housing, 
feeding,  and  general  treatment  of  cattle,  have  all  contributed  to 
the  change.  It  cannot  be  doubted,  however,  that  the  Short- 
horn bull  has  been  one  of  the  chief  agents  at  work,  if  not  the 
most  effectual.  Some  of  the  Upper  Straths  in  the  county  of 
Banff,  that  of  Glenrinnes  in  particular,  supply  striking  evidence 
of  the  extraordinary  improvement  which  has  followed  the  intro- 
duction and  general  use  of  Shorthorn  bulls.  Glenrinnes,  about 
twenty  miles  inland,  is  surrounded  by  bleak  hill-ranges  ; and  its 
arable  land  lies  from  about  700  to  1000  feet  above  the  sea-level. 
Formerly,  say  about  thirty  years  ago,  the  cattle  reared  here  were, 
as  a rule,  about  the  worst  to  be  seen  in  any  of  the  markets 
throughout  the  north-east.  Now  there  is  scarcely  a second-rate 
animal  bred  in  the  Strath,  while  for  some  years  back  the 
Glenrinnes  cattle  have  taken  a clear  lead  in  the  local  markets. 
The  old  stock  of  cows  possessed  a large  dash  of  the  native  black 
polled  or  black  and  grey  horned  varieties,  and  good  well-bred 
Shorthorn  bulls  have  produced  from  these  a race  of  animals 
