160 guineas. Pride 18th was the second-prize two-yearold heifer at Kelso and Carlisle in 1880, and gained for Lord Tweedmouth the third prize as a cow at the Highland Society's show at Stirling in 1881. Heir of Glory was retained as stock sire, and is assisted by Tip Top 1828, out of Pride of Aberdeen 15th. Lord Tweedmouth, it will be seen, owns a rare group of Prides, and some valuable specimens of other branches of the Queen tribe. The herd has not as yet had an opportunity of doing much either in the show-yard or sale ring, but a brilliant future may safely be predicted for it.

Haddo House.

As already noticed, there was a fine herd at Haddo House, which was dispersed in 1861. A herd was again commenced by the Earl of Aberdeen in 1870 by purchases at Castle Fraser and Tillyfour. At Portlethen in 1873, Frances 3d 901, of the Kinnaird Fanny family, and Ida 6th 900, of the Portlethen Ida family, were bought for 51 guineas and 44 guineas respectively; Alice 1243, of Mr Brown's Victoria family, was bought at Westertown in 1874 for 55 guineas; and the bull Archbishop 787, of the Duchess branch of the Queen tribe, cost 48 guineas as a calf. Rosalind 1805, of the Grizzle family, was bought from Mr M'Combie of Easter Skene in 1874. Ellen 1st 2353 was bought at Mulben, and the Erica bull Heritor 1277 was acquired at the Corskie sale in 1877. Purchases were also made at East-town and East Kinmonth. The herd was largely reduced by a draft sale in 1879, when 39 animals averaged £25, 5s. In the following year attention was again given to breeding, and some valuable additions were made by purchases on Lord Aberdeen's behalf by Mr Douglass, factor. The herd now numbers about 30 breeding animals. Among them may be named Pride of Mulben 2d 2359, bought at the Aboyne dispersion for 67

guineas, and representing one of the best branches of this fashionable family; Halt 2d 3527, bought at the Tilly four dispersion for 61 guineas, winner of the first prize and gold medal in the heifer class at the Paris Exhibition in 1878, and a member of Mr M'Combie's Champion group; Gitana 2578, of the Pride tribe, purchased at Tillyfour; Alice 4th 3683, of the Westertown Victoria family; Lady Catherine 3d 4316, bred at Haddo House; Green Lady 4689, from Fyvie Castle; Sybil 3d, after the Queen bull Dragon 1178, and out of Mr M'Combie's Champion cow Sybil 3524; and Charming Queen, of the Charmer branch of the Queen tribe, being out of Charmer 3d 3251, sold for 150 guineas. Sybil 3d and Charming Queen were bought at the Tillyfour dispersion in 1880. The young stock in the herd are after Baron Morven 1580, of the Kinnochtry Princess family, Warrior 1291, and Heir of Paris 1917. The last named, bred at Balquharn, and out of Pride of Aberdeen 9th 3253, the 270 guineas cow, is the bull at present in use.

Hatton Castle.

Mr Garden Duff of Hatton established his herd in 1877 by the purchase of two cows at Mr Hannay's sale at Corskie. One of them Fred's 4th Darling 1923, of the Ballindalloch Sybil tribe-was bought for 98 guineas, and she herself and eight of her descendants are in the herd. Mr Duff has since made purchases at the draft sale of Lord Aberdeen's herd in 1879, at the Aboyne draft sale in 1879, and at the Tillyfour dispersion in 1880. At the Tillyfour dispersion was bought the Pride cow Royalty 3053 for 80 guineas. The herd now numbers 38 head, consisting of 3 Prides, 8 of other branches of the Queen tribe, 10 Ballindalloch Sybils, 4 Kinnaird Fannys, and 3 Aboyne Livelys, etc. It will thus be seen that in a comparatively short time Mr Duff has collected specimens of some of the very best

tribes of the day, and the rapid increase is due to the fortunate circumstance that the produce of the herd has been almost entirely females. The stock sire is the Erica bull Viscount 2nd 1743, half-brother on the dam's side to the celebrated Young Viscount 736. Prizes have been taken at the local shows, but Mr Duff has not up to the present time exhibited elsewhere. Three yearling bulls of last year were sold for a little over £33 each.

Haughton.

Over twenty years ago, Mr Farquharson of Haughton purchased a polled cow off the Tillyfour stock, which he named Leochel Lass, and from her has sprung the best of his herd. Leochel Lass 2nd 1861 is still in the herd, and although now sixteen years old, she keeps her shapes as well as ever. She has been a regular breeder, and is a heavy milker. Her daughter, Leochel Lass 3rd 1863, gained the second prize at the Vale of Alford show as a cow, and was sold for £40. Leochel Lass 4th 1864 won the first prize at Alford in 1876, and was afterwards sold to Professor Brown, of the Ontario Agricultural College, Canada, for 70 guineas. From her has sprung a subfamily of Heather Bells. Heather Bell 1st of Haughton 2295 won first prizes at Alford and Insch, and was sold to Mr Mackessack, Earnside, for 80 guineas. Heather Bell of Haughton 2nd 2496, after gaining many high honours at Alford, was sold with her calf for £100. Another daughter of hers, after Victor of Kelly 3d 854, Heather Bell 3d 3953, bids fair to surpass her dam in merit, and there is in the herd a very fine heifer from her by The Black Knight 1809. There are other three cows of the same blood. These go by the name of Marias. They are good breeders, and their stock have brought satisfactory prices. Others of the same line might be mentioned as very promising. In the herd this season

there are a lot of very nice calves after the Pride bull The Black Knight 1809, an animal of great substance, good shapes, and quality. Mr Farquharson is very particular in having in his place bulls of the best pedigree, combined with individual merit. One of the first bulls used was an animal of splendid breeding and superior style and quality. He was Garibaldi of Haughton 707, after Rob Roy Macgregor 267, and out of Pride of Aberdeen 581. Mr Farquharson exhibited him at the International Show at Battersea in 1862, where he gained the second prize as a two-year-old. Victor of Kelly 3rd 854, of the Victoria. branch of the Queen tribe, came from Mains of Kelly; Emir 1498, out of that excellent milking cow Miss Macpherson 1252, of the Erica tribe, from Balquharn; and The Black Knight 1809, of the Pride family, from Mr Pearson of Johnston. There are usually from ten to twelve cows in the herd, and they are all used as dairy cows, their calves being hand-reared.

Hill of Skilmafilly.

In 1863 a heifer out of Fyvie Flower 1516 was purchased by the father of Mr George Fraser, the present tenant of Hill of Skilmafilly, from Colonel Gordon of Fyvie. He made subsequent additions until 1867, when Mr George Fraser took over at valuation the farm stocking, with the exception of a two-year-old heifer, out of the animal purchased in 1863. In 1868 Mr Fraser bought a bull and three heifer calves at Fyvie Castle, and made a number of other additions from the same herd. In 1879 the heifer Annie Lawrie of Skilmafilly 4253 was bought from Colonel Gordon. Of these animals, Belle of Skilmafilly 4535 is still in the herd, although fourteen years old. She was in February last at the drop, her nineteenth calf, although she was thirty-five months old. at her first calving, having had twins four times. After

using until 1872 the bull bought at Fyvie Castle in 1868, Mr Fraser bred the next two sires used in the herd, one from a cow at Fyvie Castle descended from the Keillor stock, and the other from the cow his father reserved on leaving the farm in 1867. In 1876 was bought at the Shevado sale the bull calf Andrew Lammie 2nd 1166, bred by the late Mr Dingwall Fordyce. In 1879 Mr Fraser bought the bull calf Macer 1659 from Mr James Argo, Cairdseat. He is now the property of Mrs Hay, South Ythsie. In January 1882 was purchased the bull Baron Morven 2nd from the Earl of Aberdeen. The number in the herd at present, including calves, is twenty. Of these, twelve are registered, or eligible for entry, in the 'Polled Herd Book.' Mr Fraser has for the last eight years been buying and selling from 200 to 500 herd of cattle annually, and it would thus be difficult to give an account of all his transactions in polled cattle. Sales have been made to Mr James Hay, Little Ythsie; Dr Ligertwood, Auchencrieve; Mr Wilken, Waterside; Mr Metcalfe, Mains of Auchmunziel, etc. A good many prizes have been gained at local shows by animals from the herd.

Hillockhead.

Mr Duff's herd at Hillockhead has become very famous in connection with one or two of the best show and breeding cattle of the day. His first purchase was Cupbearer of Ballindalloch 451 and Erica 3rd 1249, a son and granddaughter of the celebrated Ballindalloch cow Erica 843. These animals were bought from Sir George Macpherson Grant, Bart., in 1868. Cupbearer gained several prizes, among them the second at the Royal Northern and Highland Society's shows. He was sold to Colonel Fraser of Castle Fraser, and Mr Duff bought from that breeder Matilda 1250, of the Mina family, and her bull calf Hampton 492. Hampton was put to Erica 3rd 1249,