382 The Management of a Shorthorn Herd. 
that the herds which I have taken for purposes of illustration 
may be found fairly to represent the several systems noticed. 
At the outset, I purposed to take either the management of 
the calf from birth to the end of its life in mature cowhood or 
bullhood ; or the management of a herd from its formation, 
through the whole course of births, marriages, and deaths ; but 
I soon found that neither of these plans would do, as it is often 
necessary to know much of the circumstances of a herd and 
district before we can understand the wherefore of the mode of 
treatment ; so in dealing with the facts noted I throw aside the 
fetters of the original scheme and proceed to give my notes in 
any order that seems most suitable to the peculiarities of each 
case, introducing occasionally a passing remark or two, and con- 
cluding with a review of the facts and some comments upon 
them. The reader may notice that I do not give any details of 
the training of animals for exhibition. The fact is, training 
for exhibition, under the forcing system at present in vogue, and 
likely so to remain, is a matter of special study for each animal ; 
it is an imposition upon Nature, and Nature's forbearance must 
be watched and sounded. The feeder must heap on the last 
ounce, short of breaking the beam. There is 7io prescription 
for the manufacture of prize-winners. We all know the feeding- 
stuffs that cattle like. If we want to make an animal thick-fat, 
we must take a few of the most nutritive of them, learn the 
animal's preferences, and vary the mixture so as to stimulate 
appetite, remembering, however, that bulk of food as well as 
quality of food is necessary, and that it would not be nice to 
live upon plum-cake alone. Exercise, also, must be attended 
to, and by all means that precious hair must be kept on, 
even if a glass case be necessary for its preservation. Some 
such general rules may be laid down, but each exhibitor must 
work out the details for himself. Some animals make them- 
selves up to the show-mark with comparatively little feeding, 
and would be overdone and spoiled by much forcing ; but it 
will scarcely be denied that in the preparation of animals for 
show, cramming is the rule. 
In the following particulars of management I am indebted 
to the owners and managers of the several herds I visited for the 
ready facilities afforded me of gathering information. In the 
notes which immediately follow, I am under obligation to 
Messrs. A. Cruickshank of Sittyton, and J. W. and E. Cruick- 
shank of Lethenty, for details of the management of the Sittyton 
and Lethenty herds ; and I feel especially obliged to Mr. J. W. 
Cruickshank for valuable hints concerning the plan of this 
paper and very comprehensive memoranda of the Aberdeenshire 
system in general. I beg also to express my acknowledgments 
