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years ago, and somewhat changed by change of climate and soil. They are of a larger size than the horned, although not so handsome. Of late they have been much improved by careful selection from the best of their own stock, and are becoming more numerous. In some districts they are equal to or are superseding the horned breed. They usually equal in weight the larger varieties of the horned breed, but the quality of their meat is said to be inferior. As they are, in a measure, occupying the situation of the larger horned cattle, these, in their turn, are intruding on the cattle of the hill country." Youatt quotes from Mr R. Gray, who, writing in reference to the Buchan cattle in the Quarterly Journal of Agriculture,' says: "The best sort used to be polled, and some of them that do not begin to have Ayrshire blood in them are so still, and are of a dark or brown colour. The breed of cattle in Buchan is peculiar to that part of the country."

Youatt would seem to have favoured the idea that the polled cattle which he found existing in Buchan―i.e., the lower parts of Aberdeenshire-at the time he collected his information-between 1832 and 1835-were not really "native cattle," but "Galloways introduced about thirty years ago." We have been unable to discover any evidence in support of this suggestion, and we possess such strong testimony in opposition that we are compelled to regard it as erroneous. Dr Keith has told us that in 1811 there were four distinct classes of cattle in the countynamely, (1.) " English or foreign breeds;" (2.) "Scotch or Fifeshire, mixed with native;" (3.) "Native and unmixed lowland or Aberdeenshire;" (4) "Native and unmixed or Highland breed." Some twenty or twenty-four years later, Youatt found the first, second, and fourth varieties still in the county. The native unmixed Highland breed, he says, existed "towards the interior and on the hills," but he makes no mention of the native unmixed low country breed. In its place in the lowlands, where it was left by

Dr Keith in 1811, Youatt finds "a breed of polled cattle;" and in our opinion the latter ought to be regarded as the direct continuation of the former. In other words, we think it is manifest that the "native low country breed" which Youatt found there some twenty or twenty-four years later, really belonged to the same race, the one, in fact, being the direct lineal descendants of the other. If this were not the case, then we would be shut up to the belief that in the interval between the times when Keith and Youatt collected the information for their respective works, the "native low country breed" had entirely disappeared an occurrence that we imagine could scarcely have happened. It is extremely improbable that a "native" race possessing such valuable properties as the Williamsons assigned to the "native low country breed" should be so utterly neglected and abused, as to drive it out of existence in the short period of twenty years. Of all the varieties in Aberdeenshire in 1811 it would appear to have been decidedly the best; and on that account we should rather expect it to have been preserved with even more than usual care. The Buchan humlies, spoken of by Youatt, form the only link through which its continuity could possibly be established; and to us it seems manifest that these Buchan humlies have really come in direct descent from the valuable native unmixed lowland breed so highly prized by George Williamson and his brothers.

In support of these conclusions we have still further evidence. Youatt, when collecting material for his work on cattle, applied to the late Duke of Gordon for information regarding the stock of cattle on and around his Grace's estates. At the desire of his Grace, the late Mr A. Macpherson, then factor on the Gordon estates in the Huntly district, sent to Youatt a communication on the subject. For some unknown reason, only a portion of the information supplied by Mr Macpherson was made use of; but through the kindness of his grandson, Mr Andrew Mac

pherson, solicitor, Huntly, we are enabled to produce the communication in full. Mr Macpherson entered the farm of Gibston in 1803, and his letter to Youatt was written from Huntly on 28th September 1832, when he was sixty-three years of age. It proceeds as follows:

"The county of Banff and the adjoining counties of Aberdeen and Moray may all be regarded as one district for the present purpose. In the Buchan quarter of Aberdeenshire a variety of the polled cattle is the principal breed; but over all the rest of the district, that which is generally termed the Aberdeenshire horned is the ancient, and is still the preponderating stock. It is well known and appreciated by cattledealers and graziers from the Moray Firth to Smithfield. These two kinds have existed time out of mind in the district, and their origin is believed to be equally obscure with that of the other animals, wild and tame, which abound in the land. The Galloway breed of polled cattle was introduced into the district about thirty years since, and has increased so much that it now forms a large portion of the heavy stock in our markets. Several other breeds were also brought in of late years-such as the Ayrshire, and the Teeswater Shorthorned from England; but these are hardly observable in mass, being so few in number. Crosses are numerous between the breeds mentioned; but these do not appear as distinct classes, being mostly joined to the parent stocks, as they happen to resemble the one kind or the other in size, or the article of horns. They possess, however, some of the qualities of both the stocks from which they are derived. A cross between the Argyleshire, reckoned the largest of the real Highlanders, and the heavy-horned, has been found valuable, and encouraged. The horned Aberdeenshire vary greatly in size, according to selection and keeping. In the fertile districts of the low country, abounding with summer pasture and winter food, they reach at full growth from fifty to seventy stone Dutch, and have been known to feed to the weight of fifteen and sixteen hundredweight. In the hills and barren parts they reach from twenty to thirty stone; and between these extremes every variety of weight abounds, depending on the circumstances stated. The polled cattle, being kept chiefly in the low country, do not vary so much in size as the

horned. They generally equal the heavier classes of the horned in that respect; but it is not considered here that their quality is equal to that of the horned when brought to the shambles. All cattle have greatly improved within the last thirty or forty years, owing to the introduction of the turnip husbandry, sown grasses, and the general improvements. in agriculture. The cattle of this district are well adapted. for grazing and the dairy. They are pastured in the fields in summer, and fed with straw and turnips in winter; sometimes with steamed potatoes. Calves are fed with milk warm from the cow. That is the general practice; but they are sometimes allowed to suck, and in a few instances reared partly upon oil-cake.

"The present Duke of Gordon has at different times within the last thirty years brought the best selection of bulls and cows that could be found in Galloway into the district. The same also from Argyleshire, the Scottish isles, and the Teeswater from Yorkshire, from which great benefit has arisen, by their increase and mixture with the original stock and with each other; and his Grace's example has since been extensively followed by agriculturists and breeders of cattle."

We thus have evidence of a most trustworthy kind, that while undoubtedly the Galloway breed of polled cattle had been introduced into Aberdeenshire about the opening of the present century, and that while by the time Youatt had commenced to collect his information the progeny of this introduction had increased so much as to form "a large portion of the heavy stock in our markets," there had also been a distinct "variety of the polled cattle" forming "the principal breed" in the "Buchan quarter of Aberdeenshire," where it had "existed time out of mind." Mr Macpherson says the polled cattle were kept chiefly in the low country; and this, together with his other statements, supplies substantial confirmation not only of the idea that the famous "native low country breed" so highly commended by George Williamson, and the polled cattle which Youatt speaks of, were really the

same variety, but also that the former, like the latter, were hornless.

Mr Ramsay, in his 'History of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland,' published in 1879, gives an extract from a communication which he had received from Mr George Stodart, "lately farmer in Culter-Cullen, Foveran, now (January 1879) in his 97th year, and who made his first purchase of cattle in 1801." Mr Stodart, who died in June 1880, says :-

"There were at the beginning of the century both polled and horned cattle in Buchan, but the horned cattle were mostly in the Highlands of Aberdeenshire. The horned and polled were mixed in the low districts. The biggest market was Aikey Fair, and there was another market, Kepple Market, in New Machar. At Aikey Fair about one-half were polled and one-half horned, but they were all of the Aberdeenshire breed."

Mr George Barclay, now farmer at Stocherie, and his forefathers, bred Aberdeenshire cattle at Auchmill and Yonderton, King - Edward, for more than two hundred years, and a good many of their animals were polled. The late Mr John Marr, Cairnbrogie, Tarves, commenced to breed Buchan polled cattle early in the present century, probably about 1810, or soon after. His son, Mr W. S. Marr, Uppermill, one of the most extensive breeders of Shorthorns in Aberdeenshire, favoured the authors with a communication in reference to his father's herd. He says: "My father commenced to collect them before I remember I would suppose about sixty-five years ago. They were not like the present polled. They had not the same points, being more round in the quarter, short-legged, thick, well-fleshed animals; most of them brown round the muzzle, and many of them with a brown stripe down the back. They were known as the Cairnbrogie breed. There were several public sales of young bulls and heifers at Cairnbrogie, when they realised good prices for these

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