44-2 
Management of Cattle. 
and no handling about them. There cannot be a worse sort of 
bullock for the grazier to purchase ; they never grow an inch, and 
for months it is very difficult to say whether they are better or 
worse than when first put to keeping. 
The Galloway breeders generally bring up their calves from 
the pail, and keep them well till they are a year old ; from one 
to three they frequently lie out all winter, having a little rough 
hay on the sward. They are generally fed off, in their native dis- 
tricts, from grass, when rising four years old. Those brought into 
this country are chiefly purchased for winter feeding in stalls or 
yards ; for the latter they are peculiarly well adapted ; from being 
a hornless and naturally docile animal, they lie remarkably quiet, 
and disturb each other very little ; they weigh when fat from 56 
to 64 stones. It has been before observed that they are not so 
much sought after as formerly ; and in the eastern district of the 
kingdom of late years they have been very much supplanted by 
the Short-horns. 
The Ayrshires are of two distinct sorts : the Native breed, a 
small, light-boned animal ; the Dunlop Ayrshire (a cross between 
the Native breed and the Holderness) is a much larger description 
of cattle ; the cows are frequently bought by the Edinburgh and 
Glasgow dairymen, being excellent milkers. The small breed is 
considered of the best quality. The calves are reared from the 
pail and housed in winter ; they feed tolerably well, but are rather 
light-fleshed animals, and do not reach heavy weights. They 
thrive on moderate pastui'es, and are considered a hardy race of 
stock. There are herds of Dunlop Ayrshires, as well as of the 
Native breed, in many parts of this kingdom, principally esteemed 
f(n' their excellent milking qualities and general hardihood ; and 
by good keeping the steers may be returned at an early age, and 
when between two and three years old will reach from 46 to 50 
stones. 
The West Highland breed is remarkable for its great hardihood 
and for the peculiarly fine flavour of its flesh when fat. The 
oxen are brought southward, in the latter part of summer and 
autumn, in immense droves, and find their way into almost every 
district in the kingdom. They are generally purchased by gra- 
ziers to gnaw or eat up the rough fog or aftermath left upon their 
pastures by feeding cattle during the summer, and for this purpose 
tliey are invaluable. In the most severe winter, assisted occa- 
sionally by a little rough hay, in a deep snow, the West High- 
lander will work its way, and keep its flesh in a most surprising 
manner. For milking purposes the West Highlanders are of 
little or no use ; and, in fact, are seldom, if ever, milked in tlieir 
native hills. The characteristics of a good and well-bred West 
Highland Scot are long and somewhat large horns, turning up- 
