"PRIDE OF ABERDEEN 16"(3302) at 4 YEARS OLD The Property of C.Stephenson Balliol College Farm Long Benton Newcastle on Tyne. CHARLOTTE 203 AND PRIDE OF ABERDEEN 581. 125 Of the descendants of Queen Mother, Charlotte 203, and her daughter Pride of Aberdeen 581, were the most illustrious. After the preceding remarks we need say nothing here regarding the celebrity of the animals embraced in their pedigrees. Nor is it necessary at present to enlarge on their individual merit. Sufficient proof of their excellence is found in the fact, that these two cows were considered about the best of any breed exhibited at two great international shows-Charlotte at Paris in 1857, and Pride of Aberdeen at Battersea in 1862. Mr M'Combie paid special attention to the development of the branch of the Queen tribe founded by Pride of Aberdeen. She bred exceedingly well, and the family of polled cattle in which occur the names of Mr M'Combie's favourite cows, Pride of Aberdeen, Charlotte, and Queen Mother, is held in very high esteem by breeders. It ought to be noticed that at Mr Fullerton's sale in 1844, Mr M'Combie purchased Jean Ann 206, a full sister of Queen Mother. From her he bred his three Victor bulls, as also Young Jean Ann 144, who was the dam of the Highland Society's first prize cow Fair Maid of Perth 313, by Angus 45. The strain is now extinct in the female line. Hitherto we have confined our remarks on the Tilly four herd to the members of the Queen tribe bred there. Although that was the family to the rearing of which Mr M'Combie devoted his chief attention, he also owned and bred several famous animals of other strains. Among these we may mention Beauty of Tilly four 2nd 1180 bred at Keillor, and of Mr Watson's Favourite tribe. Besides several good bulls, Beauty 2nd bred Miss Watson 987 by President 3rd 246; Jilt 973 by Black Prince of Tillyfour 366; and Ruth of Tilly four 1169 also by Black Prince of Tillyfour. We need not at present dwell on the distinguished descendants of this branch of the Keillor Favourite tribe. Of other celebrated animals owned or bred by Mr M'Combie, a few may be noticed as follows: Rauiston 352, the foundress of the Drumin Beauty and the Mulben Caroline families; Young Jenny Lind 207, the foundress of the Mains of Kelly Jennets; Kate 12, foundress of the Kinnaird Kathleens; Young Charlotte 103, foundress of the Montbletton Charlottes; Bess 1181, foundress of the Indego Graces; Bracelet 1010, by Black Prince of Tillyfour 366, foundress of the Melville Bracelets; Mayflower of Montbletton 614, foundress of the Montbletton Mayflowers; Mr Collie's prize cow Mayflower 314; Normahal 726, and Zara 1228, from whom sprung the Ardgay Zaras; Nightingale 262, foundress of the Portlethen Nightingales; Heiress of Balwyllo 461, from whom descends the Balwyllo Isabellas now at Montbletton; Lady Clara 4, and Mariana 622, from whom sprung the Easter Skene Lady Claras; Young Lady Ann 307, foundress of the Westertown Lady Anns; Matchless 390, representing the very old herd of Mr Williamson, St John's Wells, from whom Mr Brown, Westertown, bred the dam of President of Westertown 354, &c. Some years before his death, Mr M'Combie added to his herd from Mulben and Aboyne a good many descendants of Pride of Aberdeen. He also bought members of the Sybil and Halt families from Baads, and these became very distinguished in his hands. Purchases were further made at Rothiemay, Easter Tulloch, Melville, and elsewhere. It affords us pleasure to be able to give a few remarks descriptive of some of the most famous of the Tillyfour cattle. These we have been favoured with by Mr William Joss, now residing at Blairshinnoch, near Banff, and who had charge of the Tillyfour herd in its palmy days, from 1857 to 1868. Mr Joss's remarks are so interesting, and his sketch is so graphic, that we take the liberty of presenting his statement in his own words: "I am somewhat at a loss what to write about the polled cattle, as, after a lapse of twenty-four years, it is no wonder although their characteristics are fading from my memory. I have tried to bring them in view again, and shall begin my description with the bull Hanton 228. He was a bull of great constitution. As an evidence of this, I may state that after his return from the Paris Exhibition in 1856, where he got foot-and-mouth disease, he lay for a week in an old smithy not able to rise, but he ate three cakes of oilcake a day (each cake generally weighs 7 lb.), and a feed of bruised oats, and during that time he took on three inches in girth. He got boots made, was shipped to Inverness, and took the first prize. Hanton was very lengthy, and handled like a glove. The only thing bad about him was his head, on which were loose scurs, which made the head look a little square. He was serviceable to the end, and had the use of himself, although of great weight — he usually scaled a ton. When in condition, he was as playful when seven years old as a yearling, but with strangers he got crusty. No wonder he did so, considering the exposure to which he was subjected at shows, travelling by sea and land. He had also to be thrown now and again to have his feet dressed, as they never recovered the disease. As everybody was poking and punching at him, he was always ready for 'war' if he thought any one was meddling too much with him. He had a great fondness for travelling in the cattle-van, and ran into it whenever he saw the door let down. He was a very sure stock-getter, and taking him altogether, few better have appeared. Standard-Bearer 229 (the first prize bull at the Highland Society's show at Aberdeen in 1858) was of another type -low standing and smaller in size, but very sweet. He had immense fore-end, but was not proportionable in the hind-quarters. He was not a good breeder; and I knew of only one calf by him when at Tillyfour, out of a small dairy cow; but I believe he had some after he went to Carron on Speyside. As I have said, this bull had an extra fore-end, for I well remember tying him in his stall |