484 
Report  of  the  Live-Stock  exhibited  at 
advance  in  market  value  has  since  1878  been  nearly  100  per 
cent.,  while  for  the  very  best  bred  families  the  rise  has  been 
double  that  amount.  The  late  Mr.  M‘Combie’s  achievements 
at  the  Paris  Exhibition  in  1878,  securing  the  principal  group 
prizes  open  to  all  comers  with  his  “ black  skins,”  gave  the 
breed  a great  “ lift  ” in  distant  lands  as  well  as  at  home.  The 
Americans  were  captivated  by  the  fine  flesh-forming  and  early- 
maturing  qualities  of  the  breed,  as  also  by  the  absence  of 
horns.  The  result  has  been  a large  and  yearly  growing  demand 
for  Northern  Polls  to  cross  the  Atlantic.  As  much  as  500 
guineas  has  been  paid  for  one  female  for  exportation,  and  about 
that  figure  has  oftener  than  once  been  paid  by  home  breeders. 
The  display  at  York  would  have  been  much  larger  and  better 
but  for  the  risks  of  disease  and  the  uncertainties  of  the  return 
journey  to  Scotland.  Only  two  animals  came  direct  from 
Scotland ; but  so  many  Polls  have  in  recent  years  gone  to 
establish  herds  in  England,  that  a fair  appearance  was  made. 
It  is  doubtful  if  more  than  one  or  two  of  the  Polls  at  York 
would  have  found  their  way  into  the  prize  list  at  the  Inverness 
H ighland  Show  the  following  week,  and  certain  it  is  that  none 
of  the  English  exhibits  would  have  got  to  the  front  at  the  High- 
land capital.  The  York  entry,  however,  was  not  to  be  despised, 
especially  as  over-feeding  was  almost  avoided.  Mr.  Rouse’s 
first  Bull  over  Two  Years  old  is  a six-year-old,  bred  at  Drumin, 
Banffshire,  and  descended  from  the  Rothiemay  “Georgina” 
family.  He  did  good  service  in  the  herds  of  Lord  Lovat  and 
Mr.  Robertson,  Aberlour  Mains,  and  has  thriven  well  since 
he  crossed  the  Border  last  year.  In  the  flank  he  is  light,  but 
atonement  for  that  is  offered  in  excellence  of  loin  and  abundance 
of  flesh  on  the  top.  There  w as  not  much  between  the  Bradley 
Plall  entry  and  Mr.  Egginton’s  two-year-old  that  followed.  The 
latter  is  the  thicker  in  the  middle,  and  has  a good  front.  He 
was  bred  by  the  late  Mr.  Walker,  Montbletton,  and  cost 
97  guineas  last  autumn.  His  sire  was  the  255-guinea  bull 
“Young  Hero,”  and  his  dam  a member  of  the  “Lady  Palmer- 
ston” family,  that  averaged  over  200  guineas  a head  at  the 
Montbletton  sale  in  September  last.  Mr.  Wallis’s  bull,  that 
ranked  third,  has  more  length,  and  fully  as  much  style  as  the 
other,  but  he  is  weaker  in  the  middle.  He  was  bred  at  Ballin- 
dalloch,  of  the  prize-winning  “Sybil”  tribe,  and  had  for  sire 
the  National  Society’s  first-prize  bull  “Justice.”  Yearlings 
were  numerically  stronger.  A stiff  pull  ensued  for  the  first 
ticket  between  Mr.  Wilken’s  “Mayflower”  bull,  of  Lord  Tweed- 
mouth’s  breeding,  and  Mr.  Wallis’s  “Jilt”  bull,  of  his  own 
breeding.  The  latter,  descended  from  one  of  the  best  Ballin- 
dalloch,  Tillyfour,  and  Keillor  families,  is  good  along  the  back, 
