Morlich. Mr Cran, Morlich, Towie, has been breeding polled cattle for a long time. He was fortunate enough to procure from Mr M'Combie of Tilly four the cow Beauty of Morlich 2072, and she has proved a most fortunate investment. Calved in 1854, she was got by Angus 45, and out of that grand-breeding cow Windsor 202, of the Queen tribe, the dam of Lord Southesk's Windsor 221, and of Mr M'Combie's Rob Roy Macgregor 267. Beauty of Morlich 2072 has left a numerous and excellent progeny. The strain is held in high repute, and worthily so no less on personal merits than on account of the choice Tillyfour blood which it alone in the female line preserves. Mr Cran does not show except at the local meetings at Tarland and Kildrummy, and he had the honour of gaining on one occasion the challenge cup presented by Her Majesty the Queen with one of the descendants of Windsor. Another very lucky purchase by Mr Cran was the bull Balwyllo Eclipse 781, bought at the Balwyllo sale in 1863 for 23 guineas. He was after Sir William Wallace 308, and out of Princess Royal 444, by Cupbearer 59, of the Victoria family at Balwyllo. This bull was used with satisfactory results in the herd. Among other sires introduced were Bogfern 901, bred by Mr Shaw, after the Highland Society's firstprize bull Palmerston 374, and tracing on the dam's side to the Keillor herd; and Marshal Var 1452, bred by Mr Hannay, got by Young Viscount 736, and of the Castle Fraser Mina tribe. Mr Cran has made a good many sales privately, and his bull calves have always fetched high prices at the Aberdeen joint sales. Pitfour. The foundation of Colonel Ferguson's herd at Pitfour was laid in 1869, by the purchase of two heifers from Easter Skene; and another heifer, Bella 1477, of the Blanche family, was added at the Castle Fraser dispersion. The next addition was Mysie by Bright 454, from Tillyfour. At the Rothiemay sale in 1872, Diana 1185, and Deveron Banks 1492, were bought. Periwinkle 902, descended from Mr Hugh Watson's cow Panmure 248, was acquired at the Portlethen sale in 1874, and Buxom Polly 2240, of the Easter Skene Queen of Scots family, came from the Garthdee sale in 1875. In that year the herd received a temporary check through foot and mouth disease. Several of the above-mentioned cows slipped or had dead calves, and three had to be fed for the butcher in consequence of their udders spoiling. Rosemary 936, of the Rose family, was bought at the Westertown sale. Martha 4th 2254, of Mr Bowie's breeding, was obtained at the joint sale at Aberdeen in 1876. Isla of Corskie 2999, of Drumin descent, was bought at the Corskie sale. Tifty of Fyvie 1527, of the Fyvie Flower family, was purchased in 1879. The next purchase was Cumberland Lass 3970, of the Rothiemay Victoria family, at the Tilly four dispersion. Some of the strains noted have dropped out, only the best having been kept and bred from. Among those now in the herd, the Virtues, tracing from Mally 2299, bought at Easter Skene in 1869, are perhaps the nicest, although not the heaviest in the herd. They have always come to the front at the local shows, and have been in the prize lists at Aberdeen. The Dianas from Rothiemay have been found a profitable rent-paying race, being large fleshy animals, and mostly good milkers. From this sort the prize cow Dulcet 4057 sprang. As a heifer and cow she always stood first at the Buchan shows. When three years old she was second at the Highland Society's show at Kelso, and was first in the polled Derby at Keith. At first the Mysies from Tillyfour were rather small, but being crossed with the well-known bull Logie the Laird 3rd 862, they are coming out much larger in frame, while retaining all the flesh of the matron cow. They are also very good milkers, and there are of the family some promising youngsters. The family descended from Periwinkle is also good, and likely to keep its ground in the herd. The other families, particularly those from Cumberland Lass and Tifty of Fyvie, promise well. The first bull used was Aberdour 627. Sprung from a very old race of cows, Aberdour, though small in size, was of extra quality, and has left that characteristic on his offspring. The most important acquisition to the herd was Logie the Laird 3rd 862, from Mr. Bowie, Mains of Kelly, at £100, considered a long price at the time. He was the stock bull for four years, and raised the character of the herd considerably. He had a very successful show-yard career, having been first as a yearling at the Angus show at Montrose; third at the Highland Society's show at Aberdeen as a two-year-old; first at the Highland Society's show at Edinburgh in 1877, and first at the Royal Northern the same year; while in 1878 he gained the challenge cup as best polled breeding animal at Aberdeen. In 1881 he was sold to Captain Beedie, Pitgair. Marischal Keith 1627, of the Lucy tribe, purchased from Mr Skinner, Drumin, followed Logie in the herd. He was a massive, lengthy bull, with a great amount of flesh, but perhaps not so stylish as Logie. He did fairly well in the showyard, having been first yearling at Aberdeen, second at Kelso, and second two-year-old at Aberdeen, and third at Stirling. In consequence of an accident, he was sent to the butcher in 1882. His calves promise well. The present stock bull is Lord Maurice 1881, bred at Rothiemay, out of that fine Georgina cow Kate Darling 3573, and after Sir Maurice 1319. A few animals have been sold from the herd to go abroad. Diana's yearling heifer was sold in 1878 to Messrs Anderson & Findlay, Chicago. In 1879 the yearling bull Virtuoso 1626, and one of the Mysics, was sold to the agent for Senor Don Carlos Guenero, Buenos Ayres, South America. These were the first of the breed that were ever sent to South America. A year afterwards the agent for the same gentleman bought one of the Westertown Roses. The herd at present numbers fifty to sixty pure-bred animals, comprising six Virtues from Easter Skene, eight Mysies from Tillyfour, ten Dianas from Rothiemay, seven Panmures from Portlethen, three Westertown Roses, two Fyvie Flowers, four Pollys from Easter Skene, and two Marthas from Mains of Kelly. Pitgair. The present herd at Pitgair, Gamrie, was founded by Captain Beedie in 1865, by the purchase of Mayflower 2376, and other two polled cows, Mary and Polly, at the displenish sale of his predecessor in the farm, Mr Sangster, who had kept a black polled herd exclusively for at least eighteen years previous to 1865, as he appears from the records of the Highland Society to have been an exhibitor at the show in 1847. Unfortunately, as in many of these earlier herds, no record of pedigrees was made down to the time that the animals came into Captain Beedie's possession. The bull in use at Pitgair when the dispersion of the herd took place in 1865, and the sire of two of the cows above mentioned (Mayflower and Mary), was Pitgair 952, bred by Mr Ruxton, Farnell, after Lord Clyde 249, and out of Eva 450, by President 2nd 54. Captain Beedie has added since, the cow Dandy of Glenbarry 1075, of the Drumin Lucy tribe, purchased at Mr. Tayler's sale at Rothiemay in 1872, the winner the first prize at the Highland Society's show at Perth in 1871, as a yearling heifer; Ellen 3rd 2365, from Mulben, bought as a twoyear-old at the dispersion of that herd; Shevado Gem 3032, bought a calf at the dispersion of the Brucklay herd; Maiden 2nd 1743, bought at Mr Hannay's sale in 1877, winner of the second prize at the Royal Northern show in 1874; and Bathy 1525, tracing through Miss Watson to the Keillor cow Favourite 2. Bathy was acquired at the Fyvie Castle dispersion in May 1881. The earlier sires used were Duke of Cornwall 643, and John Bright 642, winner of the first prize at the Royal Northern show in 1874, and second at the Highland Society's show the same year. The sires lately used have been Jester 472, bred by Sir George Macpherson Grant, out of Jilt 973, and winner of the fourth prize at the Highland Society's show in 1874, also first at the Banff and Turriff shows; and Gamrie Mhor 1240, of the Windsor branch of the Queen tribe, bred by Mr Cran, Morlich, winner of numerous first prizes, and four Highland Society's medals at local shows. The present stock bull is Logie the Laird 3rd 862, winner of the first prizes at the Royal Northern and Highland Society's shows in 1877, and of the challenge cup, as best breeding animal in the polled sections at Aberdeen. The herd numbers thirty-seven animals, as follows:-nine descended from Polly, bought in 1865; seven Pitgair Mayflowers; four descended from the cow Mary, bought in 1865; seven Lucys; two Fyvie Gems; and two Miss Watsons. Captain Beedie sold in November 1879, by public auction, eleven females; five cows averaged £25, 10s, 2 two-year-olds £26, and 4 yearlings £17. Previous to that and since, he has sold privately six animals, viz., Lass, out of Dandy 1075, and Maiden, out of Maiden 2nd, to Mr Wilken for exportation; Mayflower 12th; May Morn, out of May 2557; with two bulls to Mr. Findlay, Peterhead, for clients in the United States. For the last three years the average for bull calves has been-1880, £25; 1881, £28, 9s.; and 1882, £33, 5s. No animals have been fed for show purposes or exhibited, except at the local shows, where many prizes have been gained for males and females. The cows are kept in a natural breeding state, and have bred |