SF133 1914 cxkjU^ m m :l !!:!) McCombieAuld C O LLE CTION NEW-YORK-STATE COLLEGE<»AGRICULTURE w Cornell University Library SF 199.A14A5 Origin History OR ABERDEEN-ANGUS CATTLE IN GREAT BRITAIN AND AMERICA fCffh PublUtMd by AMERICAN ABERDEEN-ANGUS BREEDERS' ASSOCIATION CHICAGO, ILL. The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924003186651 Origin of The Aberdeen-Angus And Its Development in Great Britain and America .*r**~ m Z Published by AMERICAN ABERDEEN-ANGUS BREEDERS' ASSOCIATION 817 Exchange Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 1914 ft & .'yf/f AST / 7 'V- ' £ ^7 A Foreword During the past few seasons a nation-wide interest in Aberdeen- Angus cattle and a consequent increase in the number of breeders and members of the American Aberdeen-Angus Breeders' Associa- tion has created a new demand for information concerning the breed. To meet this call — to place before all seeking it information concerning the greatest and oldest beef breed — this short history of its origin and development in Scotland, its transplantation to America and its subsequent career has been prepared. No attempt has been made to present more than the merest outline of the breed's history, but the main facts have been brought down to date. Con- troversies long and bitter have prevailed touching more than one phase of the breed's development. No cognizance has been taken of them, the generally accepted view having been given in every instance. Differences as to men and matters incident to the breed's progress 50 to 100 years ago can have no possible bearing on its position today.. The plain, unvarnished truth has been told, with a fair field for all and favor toward none. For an extended and diverse history of the Aberdeen-Angus breed, from which much of the matter in this little work was taken, the Association desires to express its thanks to Mr.' R. C. Auld, New York, a nephew of the late Wm. McCombie of,Tillyfour. Mr. Auld's close relational and territorial connection with Mr. Mc- Combie and his possession of many of that great breeder's private records and memoranda, fit him eminently to give potent aid in the preparation of such a history. The Association also desires to express its appreciation of the share in the editorial work borne by Mr. J. H. S. Johnstone. From this short history and from the other statistical and descriptive publications of the American Aberdeen-Angus Breeders' Association a complete review of the Aberdeen-Angus breed's his- tory may be obtained from its Caledonian birth-place to the proud pinnacle of fame on which it now rests wherever good beef is grown. Chicago, July 31, 1914. SECRETARY The Lineage of the Breed Hornless cattle existed in the earliest age to which we can trace the bovine form. In the day when first humanity itself ap- peared—when man was a savage and a hunter, but yet an artist- there existed a finely formed polled race of cattle as depicted on the walls of the caverns of these dark-skinned folk— "the oldest of men." During that period Britain was continuous with the con- tinent and consequently the polled cattle spread into the nooks and corners of what was then the land's end of Europe. Fossil and semi-fossil remains, found in Scotland, establish the fact of the prehistoric existence of wild polled cattle in those very districts occupied bv the known ancestors of the present Aberdeen-Angus; breed. King Kenneth MacAlpine of Scotland, when promulgating the laws at Scone in Perthshire, specifically mentions "black *homyl" cattle — which is the first historical reference to the breed we have. Memorial stones erected by the native Scots in commemoration of their repulses of invading Norsemen, and now found at Aldbar and Meigle in Forfarshire and Burghead in Morayshire certainly depict "the hornless cattle of the country." Kenneth's laws applied to the region that became the early seat of the Aberdeen-Angus breed, and there is documentary evidence to show that in 1523 the black homyl cattle occurred in Aberdeenshire, but the first specific mention " tpn . 11 "^ -"i"" 1 - " f the breed is that of the prize-winning "black [fumble" exhibited in 1811 from a well-known Aberdeenshire source, the influence of which on the breed is still felt. These concen- trated facts prove that the Aberdeen-Angus is the oldest polled breed — in Britain at least — and accounts for. its extraordinary' pre- potency in transmitting its color and hornless character. The value of these characteristics in crossing or grading up — -in putting the royal stamp of market-topping supremacy on the progeny of otherwise untrademarked stock — is, in the light of these marshalled facts, as easily explained as it is unchallenged. The Breed's Birthplace Scotland's earliest historians describe the region comprising the Northeast counties as a famous grazing ground for cattle and point out that Buchan was so called because it paid its tribute to the Roman legionaries in cattle. Church and state encouraged the improvement of the native stock, the Church being responsible for the establishment of the great Scotch fairs or trysts, which were originally gatherings held on days dedicated to the saints. -Hence at a very early date they had the Aikey, Paldy and Tarnty Fairs in Aberdeenshire, Kincardinshire and Angusshire, and these fairs, as ihe evidence proves, were the first places where the breeders dis- *"Homyl," "humble," "humlie," "doddie" and "dodded" are all Scotch equivalents of the words "polled" or "hornless." posed of their surplus stock, which, was eagerly snapped up by the English graziers. With the great increase in the demand for beef, as a result of the Queen Anne wars (1664-1714), cattle breeding in Scotland received a great impetus. Englishmen — always great beefeaters — found that their choicest meats came from the Scottish side of the border and it was while this trade was at its height — in the middle and latter portions of the ISth century — that authentic record was made of the breed's progress in Aberdeenshire and Angusshire, Kincardineshire and Morayshire. In Aberdeenshire we find the breed described as having been "improved" by putting l.ne best males to the best females, rules being laid down for breed- ing both for beef and the dairy, which proves the breed to have been originally what we term a dual-purpose one. The breeds of Aberdeenshire are fully described and innumer- able descriptions are given of the fine specimens killed in the city of Aberdeen. The butchers or fleshers there had their own guild and were men of a high class. They were closely associated with the breeders and the dealers — and among these particular mention is made of the Williamsons of St. John's Wells and Hobert Walker of Wester Pintray. Both these were breeders — though the Williamsons were also the largest dealers in Scotland, their only rival being, as we are told, Charles McCombie of Tilly- four, father of William McCombie, who thus inherited his love of the native humlies — as the breed was called — the word being the same as the homyl of Kenneth's laws, and of Aberdeenshire in 1523. The blood of the Williamson and Walker cattle made a distinct mark in the early showyards of the Highland Society. Robert Walker of Wester Fintray had in fact exhibited "black humble" cattle at the Garioch Show, in Aberdeenshire, in the year 1811, and Charles McCombie of Tillyfour judged them. The first men- tion of a "dodded animal" in connection with the Highland Show was of an Aberdeenshire polled steer, exhibited in 1823. In the meantime operations had been also without doubt going on in Angusshire, especially in the eastern part of the county —the Brechin district, the great Fair of which was Tarnty. There the "First Families" of the breed are heard of — the Keillor Jocks and Favorites, the Buchan Black Megs and Panmure — to which sources may be traced the great improvement that then appeared in the breed. It was to the great Tarnty market that Hugh Watson resorted in 1808 to buy six cows and heifers and a bull, which were derived from farms in this section and Kincardineshire, with which lo start his herd at Keillor. Old Grannie, the Prima cow, is be- lieved to have b?en among the lot, and purchased originally from a Kincardineshire breeder. From here also the first of the Jocks came. Among the other early breeders of this formative period were, besides Fullerton of Ardovie and the others indicated, Mustard of Leuchland, Euxton of Fannell, Scott of Balwyllo, Dalgairns of Balgavies, Chalmers of Aldbar, Kinnaird (Lord Southesk) and BoAvie, Mains of Kelly, the great bull breeder. In Kincardineshire the early breeders of the formative class included Hector of Fernyflatt (of "sire of Panmure" fame) ; Silver of Nethexlev, of Black Meg, the dam of Panmure fame ; Sir Thos. and Alex. Burnett of The Leys ; Scott of Easter Tulloch ; Mclnroy of The Burn, and Portlethen. Portlethen is the oldest herd today — having had a continuous existence from 1818, which might be ex- tended beyond that, if we take into account the herd of the previous occupier, "Mr. Williamson, breeder of the polled Aberdeen bull, Colonel. But 1818 is enough for the purpose. In Aberdeenshire the list includes the Williamsons and the Walkers, unique in these annals ; the Earl of Kintore ; McCombie of Tillyfour, Pirrie of Collithie, Wilson of Netherton of Clatt, Col. Fraser of Castle Fraser, whose herd was a famous show herd ; Rev. Mr. Brown of Coull, Lamond of Pitmurchie, Conglass "of Culsh, Walker of Ardhuncart, whose herd was founded about 1812 by purchases from Wester Fintray; Cooper of Hillbrae, of Earl O'Bu- chan fame; besides the breeders and exhibitors of these prime specimens of the breed that appeared at the early Aberdeen shows. In Banff was the herd of Sir John Macpherson Grant, from which is descended the present premier herd as it exists today; Brown of Westertown; Walker of Montbletton (with close Fin- tray affinities) ; Collie of Ardgay; Skinner of Drumin, and Pat- erson of Mulben. In Morayshire were Brown of Linkwood and others. Besides these there were breeders in Cromarty and Bosshire, as the annals of the Highland Society's show prove — all breeding "Aberdeens." At the earliest shows of the Highland Society, before the first regular appearance of animals of the breed — which occurred in 1829 — we have proofs of its prominence. In 1822 there was a general classification of "Black Cattle," which included both polled and horned. At the show of 1823, at the same place, an Aberdeenshire "dodded" steer is mentioned. In 1824 at Edinburgh, we find Adam Bogue exhibiting an Aberdeenshire steer that took the prize open to all breeds, weighing "1225 lbs., sinking the offals," or 2,145 lbs. live weight. At the 1825 Edinburgh show, an Aberdeenshire steer of enormous size was also exhibited, selling for $225. In 1827, the last of the first series of shows, Mr. Bogue obtained the second prize for a steer bought from, this time, "Mr. McCombie of Tillyfour" at the Falkirk 1826 September Tryst— tJi^^£^g^¥H5ram^^nod=^wri«^4fc£lB^^Jfe. Hugh Watson of Keillor Hugh Watson, whose father and grandfather, like M-cCom- bie's, had been admirers of the native breed, began his herd in 1808, and in that year he proceeded to Tarnty to buy the best six heifers and a bull he could get. These animals were derived from West Scryne, Kinnaird, and Fannell in Eastern Forfarshire ; and, as is also believed, some of them from Buchan — Old Grannie, understood to have come from Kincardineshire, dropping a calf — her first, at Keillor — named Beauty of Buchan. Alex Bowfe, Mains of Kelly, began to breed in 1809 — a year after Mr. Watson; and William Fullerton of Ardovie was contemporaneous with Tilly- four — the latter beginning to breed in 1830, and Fullerton about the same date — it being in 1831 that he bought the Black Meg, which "ranks with the Prima Cow" and from whom the "Queen's . breed" at Tillyf our was to spring. It is in the herds of these four breeders that we must seek the blood, and study the operations conducted therein, to understand how the breed started on its career. Little is known of Mr. Watson's breeding operations. For instance, it is not generally known that he had a sale in 1818, at which he offered animals of the "improved dodded breed." Hugh Watson made the first great exhibit of the black polls at Perth Show in 1829. With one exception all the animals in the class were from the Keillor herd, and with one exception — a cow purchased by him from Peter Watson, Kirriemuir, "a dealer in Aberdeenshire cattle" — all were also bred by him. No names are given of the animals. Mr. Watson also showed the only Angus steers exhibited, one pair bred by himself, the other by Mr. John- stone, The Scryne. The admiration of Mr. Watson's bull, cow and oxen was necessarily universal, but "it created surprise that in such a county the shrinking from competition should be so com- plete." Mr. Watson also exhibited at Kelso in 1832; Aberdeen in 1834; Perth, 1836; Dundee, 1843; Inverness, 1846, and lastly at Perth, 1852. At Inverness and Aberdeen At Inverness, 1831, a very interesting exhibit appeared. The first prize aged bull was exhibited by Peter Brown, Linkwood, Elgin, who. was mentioned by Wight, at the end of the previous century as breeding "the best of the country breed." At. this show also appeared perhaps the first cross of the Shorthorn and the Aberdeenshire black poll — a bull exhibited by none other than the great Barclay of Ury, Kincardineshire. As Inverness had been, like Perth in 1829, the first territorial opportunity for the breed, the class being for the Aberdeen Polled, to appear before a national public, doing so in a distinctly impress- ive manner, so we find it natural that coming to Aberdeen right in the home of the old breed, a stunning exhibit of Aberdeens should appear. But there were also Angus, three bulls, two of them from Keillor. This was the first time Keillor met the Aber- deens in the showyard, and the first prize went to the Aberdeen- •shire polled bull exhibited by Mr. Findlay, Balmain. The first prize for cows at the Aberdeen show was awarded to Lord Kintore; and the second would have gone to him also, had the regulations permitted. Both were bred at Wester Fintray. Strangely the cow that was given the second prize was exhibited by another Walker still— Robert of Portlethen. There were 17 competitors in the class. In the heifer class Mr. Hector of Ferny- j flatt, the breeder of "the sire of Panmure," was first. The "great ' feature of the show was the exhibit of the polled." Here the class was for "Aberdeen and Angus" cattle— the two previous- 1 shows having doubtless demonstrated the affinity of the two"', '"breeds." At Aberdeen there were prizes for dairy produce, and Mr. Walker, Wester Fintray, came out strong in the winnings— : ; as noted in the chapter on "Milking Properties." At Perth in 1836, Mr. Watson was again alone, winning in" 1 both sections. At Inverness, 1839, Keillor was first in the aged ': bull class for a bull bred at Balnacreich ; and Ferguson* of Pitfour, Aberdeenshire, was first in the junior class. Among the cows the Duke of Richmond's took first to Wester Fintray's second. The Duke exhibited a lot of ten polled cows, three having produced twins. Fine polled Aberdeenshire steers were shown, and high prices obtained for them. At Aberdeen, 1840, there was a great show. A Kincardine- shire poll headed the bulls — his portrait being published in the Farmer's Magazine, where he is described as an "Aberdeenshire Polled Bull." Among the cows, we find Wellhouse exhibiting and Portlethen; but Wester Fintray was too strong for them, being first for cows; Dingwall of Brucklay was second; Duke of Rich- mond third. In the two-year-olds the Duke was first and Walker second. In yearlings, Portlethen was first. The show at Dundee, 1843, saw the clash of battle between the rival camps — all Angus was out in force — Keillor also exhibit- ing Shorthorns; but he had to bow to the irresistible presence of . the Panmure and Black Meg host. The blood of these contingents was conspicuous and drove competition before them — competition that had enticed Keillor, Portlethen and even Wester Fintray. Lord Panmure also exhibited oxen. Tillyfour was likewise an exhibitor of oxen. It was soon after this that Panmure, "the Hubback of the Polls" went north to the Wellhouse herd ; and Queen and others of her family went to Tillyfour — all from William Fullerton's sale. « Again at Inverness, 1846, Mr. Watson was first with Old Jock. Note that in 1843 and 1846 appeared Panmure and Old Jock said by the best authorities "To stand in the front rank among the early sires that have most contributed to the improvement of the breed.**' Tillyfour and its Influence on the Breed At some point in the record of every improved breed we reach a man who possessed a peculiar genius for committing his impres- sions and an account of his operations to writing. "When we come to deal with Mr. McCombie, we stand on firm ground," it has been written, and in the private herd records and other per- sonal memoranda of Wm. McCombie of Tillvfour a safe historical base is found. The McCombies were an "Aberdeen and Angus" family of ancient derivation and for many years famed as cattle- men. The Tillyfour herd was founded in 1830 with animals accred- ited by Mr. McCombie himself as "Aberdeens," as from St. John's Wells and Wester Finlfray, and as "Angus," from Keillor, Balwyllo, Dalgairns and elsewhere. We find here in this assembling of animals of these two districts, which took place previous to the first territorial Highland Show at Aberdeen, 1834, both "strains" of the breed; in which assembling and matching we also witness the welding of the breeds, to which the designation was given for the first time, on that account, of "Aberdeen and Angus;" a title that years after its for- tunate consummation was recognized by The Polled Cattle Society, which was constrained to follow the approved mode adopted by The American Aberdeen- Angus Breeders' Association; the modern title remaining that of Tillyfour with the simple replacement of the connecting "and" by a connecting hyphen. At Perth, 1829, the breed was designated Angus; at Inverness, 1831, Aberdeen; at Aberdeen, 1834, Aberdeen and Angus, some specimens being actually from Forfarshire. The actual welding of the breeds however took place when specimens of both were mated together knowingly — as at Tillyfour — and at a much earlier date with the Black Megs and other famous specimens that found their wav into Eastern Forfarshire. "Three Fountain Heads of the Breed" So. now, we may take up the task of briefly pointing out the great families of the ,breed, that have been so well cultivated. In The History of the Breed, we read, referring to Dr. Thomas F. Jamieson's researches into the foundation history of the breed, in quoting from him: "When I occupied the post of Fordyce Lec- turer at Marischal College, Aberdeen, I devoted some attention to the subject of polled cattle ^long with other matters, and I found that all the best blood of the Aberdeen and Angus doddies trace back to three fountain-heads, viz: 1st, Mr. Fullerton's Black Meg; ^nd, the bull Panmure, from Brechin Castle; and 3rd, the Keillor Jocks. A well known writer referring to the former says "Black Meg, the mother of Queen, ranks with the Prima Cow" as a found- ress of the breed. She has also been likened to the "Favorite cow among among the Shorthorns." Panmure, also, has been termed •'the Hubback of the Polls." His dam was also called Black Meg — and there used to be some confusion between the two which now does not occur — so familiar have they both become. "Mr. Fuller- ton's Black Meg" which that breeder secured about 1831 was the foundation cow at Ardovie, where she produced Queen of Ardovie, the foundress of the Tillyfour Queens and Prides. A daughter of Queen and granddaughter of Black Meg, viz: Princess (831) was purchased bv Mr. Watson of Keillor and was sent to Ireland to uphold the standard of Keillor there. She dropped a heifer calf at Keillor. Her calf by Adam, was secured by Mr. Euxton, Fannell. The other Black Meg— dam of Panmure— calved 1837 was bought for Lord Panmure in a lot of 8 or 10 heifers from Mr. Silver of Netherley, Kincardineshire— mentioned in the "General View" of that county, and were known to have been bought in Buchan: originally, passed from Panmure eventually to The Scryne, whence ) had come some of Keillor's Tarnty selections. Mr. Fuller ton describes these Black Megs as Beautys. Black Meg and Beauty, indeed, seem to have been favorite names for these Buchan cows. The genial Hugh Watson named the calf of Old Grannie — herself remembered as one of the Tarnty's that also came from Kincardine- shire — "Beauty of Buchan"— a very significant designation, remin- iscent most probably of the origin of the calf's dam herself. Mr. Watson also named another heifer by the magic name "Panmure" at Keillor, which shows he had his mind on the sort. Black Meg of Panmure was bought by Mr. Bowie of Boysack, j brother of Alexander Bowie, Mains of Kellyj who had his eye upon ber, and was able to gain possession of her. In his herd she founded the famous Martha and Mary families. Major, a noted sire at Mains of Kelly, was of the Martha family, siring Gainsborough, the first prize bull at Inverness, 1874, Gainsbourough's son Logie, the Laird, being first at Edinburgh, 1877. Thus we find these two Black Megs' progeny going into the four foundation herds of tho breed Ardovie, Mains of Kelly, Keillor and Tillyfour. In a letter written by William Fullerton, to the writer, dated in the spring of 1879, he said that he purchased Black Meg (dam of Queen) from Mr. Thos. Fawns, a well known, cattle dealer in Brechin (mentioned by Mr. McCombie in "Cattle and Cattle Breeders," as a frequent companion) about the year 1853. She was calved in 1831 and he wrote enthusiastically about her naming her over and over again as a "pure Buchan doddie." These Black Megs represented the sort of stock that was reared at St. John's Wells, Wester Fintray and all the other original seats of the breed in Aberdeenhsire from which the Tillyfour Herd was collected ; ajid also of the kind that appeared at Inverness, 1831; and at Aberdeen, 1844, and other early shows. Mr. Fullerton in the communication referred to said: "Give, me 10 good old fashioned cows of the old Buchan kind, and let me put an Angus bull, with the best head and neck which can be, found, to them and I'll venture the offspring will all take prizes." Old Jock, who took the first prize at Dundee in 1843, where Panmure stood first proudly in the senior ranks, is the Jock referred' to by Dr. Jamieson, the sire of most of Mr. Watson's stock from 1843 to 1852. His dam was Old Favorite. He was the sire of Angus, 45— that aided in the "welding of the breed." He was also the sire of Emily 332, the foundress of the Ballindalloch Erica family. Old Jock was likewise sire of, Emily of Kinochtry, thus founding an extension of the Old Grannie foundation. 10 Thus we are enabled from these sources to specify the several most famous families of the breed. First, in a word, the Tillyfour Queens (Queen Mothers) and Prides — of mariy branches and ramifications. Second, the Ballindalloch Ericas, through Eisa and Enchan- tress which need no words to describe them. They follow the Ballindalloch Jilts and Tillyfour Buths from Beauty of Tillyfour, bred at Keillor from which she was bought by Mr. McCombie in 1860 for $320. This Beauty was also the foundress of the Easter Skene Miss Watsons. Then come the Kin- ochtry Princess's, Emilys (mentioned) and Favorites descended from Old Grannie and Favorite. The Kinnaird Fanny family descends from Old Lady Ann 1,7431), calved four years before Old Grannie, and possibly the oldest cow in the herd Book. Among the Portlethen families the Mayflower represents one of the oldest strains, descending from Old Maggie (681). But the most interesting family of all associ- ated with this, the oldest herd in existence, is the Nightingale (262) family — derived from Mary of Wester Fintray (21). The Montbletton Mayflowers and Lady Idas have a grand reputation. Here the foundation blood traces back also to Wester Fintray. The Mains of Kelly Marthas and Marys — Black Meg families— 7 have been mentioned ; which sort of blood seemed to suit Mr. Bowie, for he got hold of Young Jenny Lind from Tillyfour with which he founded his Jennets. The Drumin Lucy family is one of the old sort. Castle Fraser produced the Blanche tribe from which Geo. Bruce's first prize cow at the Paris Exposition in 1878 was derived. All the Castle Fraser blood, wherever found may be set down as of the finest sort. Westertown evolved the Bose family from Blinkbonny (315). Then we have the Mulben Mayflowers ; the Rose of Advies, the Ardgay Zaras ; the Fyvie Flower family — which should have a touch of the old St. John's Wells influence. The Abbesses and Actresses of Easter Tulloch created at Balquhain, from which have sprung some wonderful champions in Britain and America. The Cortachy Ariadnes maintain an interesting tradi- tion. Old Jip (965) founded the Jipsey family at Spott, where Mr. Whyte maintained an old herd. At The Burn, Col. Mclnroy established the Matilda of Airlies that have furnished champions at the Highland and Royal shows. A comparatively modern family, but one which was derived from the best sort of foundation is the Aboyne family of Saints. The foundress of the family was Sibylla, a finely formed and su- perbly fleshed cow. The family produced champions one after another, at the Highland and the Royal Northern shows. Of the same class are the Waterside Matildas which showed the value of the Pride top on such good old fashioned stock as the Indigo, Tar- land herd possessed, Matilda being by Knight of the Shire, whose 11 career as a stock bull was of very limited duration indicating how- ever that if he had lived he would have made a record as a sire that would have been unique. Among sires that made their mark in the earlier days of the breed were Old Jock and Angus Young Jock; Panmure, Monarch and Victor, Earl o'Buchan, Hanton, Cupbearer, Druid, Palmerston^ Windsor, Fox Maule, President of Westertown, Clansman, Trojan, Justice and Young Viscount, Gainsborough, Duke of Perth, Shah,. Prince Albert of Baads ; Prince of the Eealm ; Knight of the Shire, The Black Knight; Black Eod, Cash Epigram; Prince Inca; which have been followed by a host of bulls of the highest merit, showing the steady gain in quality in the breed. The Other Great Herds in Scotland Among those that followed the foundation herds we may mention first the Aboyne Castle herd, of the Marquis of Huntley who has been a constant patron of the breed, was the first president of the Polled Cattle Society, and a noted exhibitor. His lordship, especially in his last herd showed his good judgment in selecting and breeding the Saints, the foundress he obtained from the Brid- gend herd. We might mention Duff House where we find Lilias of Tillyfour and Young Viscount and other splendid specimens; Easter Tulloch, whence the Witches of Endor of Paris fame were originally derived; the Altyre herd of Sir William Gordon Cum- ming, that produced the Smithfield champions must always be remembered with gratitude; Pyvie Castle and "Sir Maurice" and the herd of Mr. George Beid, The Baads, especially noteworthy. Castle Fraser we have mentioned; and Montbletton, Westertown and Mulben. Mr. Smith's herd at Powrie produced many attrac- tive animals. Eothiemay was long noted and Kate of Glenbarry is a pleasant memory. Guisachan was a splendid herd full of the choicest strains ; Haughton came to the front wonderfully towards the latter part of its existence. The Johnstone herd, Waterside and Wellhoiise were strong in good blood — the former's Waterside Ma- tildas showing the impress of Knight of the Shire. The great herds at present are headed by the Royal herd at Abergeldie Mains, founded by her Majesty, the late Queen Victoria, who took a great interest in the breed. The herd, indeed, was formed soon after the visit paid by her Majesty to Tillyfour in 1868. It is strong in Prides and Saints, Ericas and Georgiuas. The herd has won the Family Prize at the Royal Northern and the female championship at the Highland show of 1896. At its sales of fat beeves at Christmas in Aberdeen and at the Perth sales, for bulls, high prices rule. The Aldbar herd is a reconstitution of the old herd that existed ihere from time immemorial. The Auchorachan herd of Col. George Smith Grant was one of the strongest in Ericas and Prides and old fashion?d strains. 12 Record making prices have been secured at its sales. It has been wonderfully successful in breeding champion showyard animals — we all remember Young Bellona, Clement Stephenson's Smithfield champion of 1887. It certainly has had a spectacular history. It is still continued in the Mains of Advie herd. The herd of Alexander and James Beddie, Banks, Strichen, produced two of Stephenson's Smithfield champions, those of 1885 and 1894 — Bridesmaid of Benton and Benton Bride, respectively. The Collithie herd is still flourishing. The Conglass herd has certainly a record that is hard to beat — in the way of producing tbe sort of animals that advertises the breed in the best way — tnose prize steers that attract so much attention at Birmingham and Smithfield. Mr. Stephen supplied Mr. McCombie with the steer that won alongside the ox that captured the Prince Albert Cup at Poissy, in 1862 — and he was "heavier than Black Prince" of 1807. The Cortachy herd, of the Airlie family, progresses along the best 'ines; the former Earl having given the herd his personal atten- tion, he and the late Earl of Southesk finding in each other a con- genial subject that led them to work in harmony. Mr. William Wilson at Coynachie and Drumfergue maintains perhaps the largest herd in Scotland — close to 200 animals. ERP 4Jtees-Qr e be s t - families and -4he se that ap e-de ep mil kers. He bre d Que6n Mother of Drumfergue 7th whreh was b« u - gM ~ b y-4Jkrir~Jutry^ ajtff Hgrnr poTtgd 'To'-this country where she had a noted showyard career and was sold for $3,000. The Cullen House herd of the Countess of Seafield, was noted as another breeding herd that has produced a Birmingham and Smithfield champion, in 1908, from the family styled Her Majesty of Cullen. The Dalmeny herd of the Earl of Rosebery has been a noted producer of Smithfield form — female champions. Its sire Ebbero, the highest priced bull that has yet been sold by public auction in Scotland, was the sire of Dalmeny Lady Ida 3rd, the female cham- pion at Smithfield, 1906. The herd has won the female champion- ship three times at Smithfield and other equally high honors. Mr. Andrew Mackenzie of Balmore has a magnificent herd to which he is devoting his skill, in building up the Lady Ida family, an off- shoot of the Montbletton herd. In Ayrshire Mr. Kennedy of Doonholm has a choice collection of doddies. It has been extraordinarily successful in the showyard aDd in the export and sale department. At Glamis there is a show herd of the very highest grade. Its prize record is unique in both the breeding and fat stock sec- tions. In 1896 Minx of Glamis was a double champion at Birm- ingham and Smithfield. In 1898 Ju Ju repeated the same feat. In 1899 and 1900 the herd won the Queen's Challenge Cup outright at Smithfield for the best animal bred by exhibitor. In 1901 there w as another repeat at Birmingham and Smithfield — Brunhilde being ^he name of- the champion ; and again in 1902 Layia did it over again. 13 The success of Glamis at these shows is all the more remarkable- coming as the cattle do from Angusshire which had never been much in the fat stock show limelight. It simply shows, that wher-; 5 ever the man is, the cattle will be just as ready to respond to that man's master force and touch. The Kinochtry and Pictstonhill herds of W. S. Ferguson, son of the late Thomas Ferguson, are impressive examples of persis- tence in which much reward has been found. J$i Portlethen seems still to rank as the oldest herd in exis- lenceT The very names of the animals one reads in the pedigrees^ have another century appearance and sound. In many ways the herd epitomizes the history of the breed. It traces beyond, through*; the herd of Mr. Williamson at Portlethen Mains— another remini- scence of the name of St. John's Wells— into the same century in which men of the same name were creating the solid foundation for the breed. The herd first appeared at the Highland Society's Show at Aberdeen, in 1834 ; when it won second for cows to another Mr. Walker— of the Fintray family. At the Centenary Show at Edinburgh, 1884, the herd then in possession of its present owner, George J. Walker, was awarded a gold medal for a set of triplets, ; Asia, Africa and America, daughters of Alexandrina, (894). J. G. Walker states that the first bulls he can trace as used in the herd came from Wester Fintray, and Fernyflatt — associated with Pan- mure fame— that is, 1826 to 1836. The first "crack bull" was per- haps Banks of Dee ; which was followed by the Andrews and Raglan for which the late Emperor Louis Napoleon offered $1,150, at the Paris show in 1856, Fox Maule, a rare animal, indeed, and Palm- eiston, a straight descendant of the Wester Fintray herd. The first regular Herd Book of the stock was dated 1840; and one of the first animals sold to go out of the country was a cow, Duchess, that went to America — in 1850. One of the original animals of the herd was Rosie — a "dowry'*; cow, whose sort had been in the family since 1778, on account of lis deep milking qualities; she being the dam of Porty, who made his mark before the days of the shows. Like the Walkers of Wester Fintray, the Portlethen Walkers paid great attention to the milking qualities of the herd — keeping accurate records, as referred to in the chapter on Milking Qualities. A study of the old sorts in Portlethen is as interesting as anything the breeder could indulge in — for the reason of the existence of so many descendants of the herd. To show how the best things agoing in the breed were noted by the breeders keeping their eyes open for the same take Matilda Fox — dam of the dandy Fox Maule. She was bred by Bowie, Mains of Kelly, and was picked up by Mr. McGombie of Tillyfour; from whom she was bought in 1857 at the Bridgend sale by the late Mr. Walker, to produce "one of the most renowned bulls of the breed," Fox Maule, winner of the senior honors at Dumfries in 1860. This interesting account of Portlethen may be rounded out by reminding the reader that Luxury, the Smithfield champion, originated in a family long noted in the herd. 14 The Spott herd of William Whyte is also one of the oldest in existence and noted for its Jipseys, a member of which Ju Ju, exhibited by the Earl of Strahmore, Glamis, was champion at Smith- field, 1898. Jipsey Baron, breed champion at Inverness, 1901, was also of the same family. The herd of Col Chas Mclnroy, of The Burn, is another of the herds running into the prehistoric period of the breed — like Portle- rhen and Aldbar — and its quality is proved by the fact that from it came the Smithfield Champions of 1905 and also 1909 — Burn Lellona 35998 and Pan of the Burn 27244. The Wester Fowlis herd of Alexander Strachan promises well to assume a traditionary standing in the great Vale of Alford as the hereditary herd. Wester Fowlis and Bridgend are in the same parish Leochell-Cushnie, and the late Mr. Strachan and Mr. McCombie had many a deal together. The Wester Fowlis — and other local herds — benefited by the overflow from Tillyfour. Mr. Strachan, the present owner, seems to have been endowed with the instinct of his father — shared in by the younger, Pat Strachan, who is also breeding. The herd produced Coronal, dam of the Scot- tish Champion (Edinburgh Fat Stock) 1896, which was reserve for the championship at Smithfield the same year. The Ardhuncart herd of the late William Walker appears to have been continued by the son — it dates back to the prehistoric period likewise; while that other herd, that of James Walker,' West- side of Brux has had the distinguished honor of providing material for the royal herd at Abergeldie. Triumphs in Foreign Countries About the date of the advent of Pride of Aberdeen, and having well established itself as a national breed, it was felt that a trip abroad would extend its fame, and its first foreign exhibition was at the Paris International Exhibition of 1856, where it was shown in considerable strength. This was the show at which Charlotte and Hanton, shown by Mr. McCombie, made such an impression on the judges that they wrote the following : "The specimens of this breed jjggsess the following characteristic points: Perfect homogeneity of race, beauty, richness and regu- larity of form, softness of skin, mellowness in handling; the whole united to a muscular system sufficiently developed. They pre- sented besides, a considerable mass of flesh, supported by a com- paratively small volume of bone. We are aware, besides, that the breed joins sobriety to a great aptitude to fatten, and that it sup- plies the butcher's stall with beef of much esteemed quality; that it produces milk in satisfactory quantity, is of sweet temper, and is also endowed with prolific qualities." Dutrone,. writing twenty-two years later, after the crowning event of 1878, also referred to this exhibition of polls: "I doubt whether those he brought out at- the last International Exhibition 15 in 1878 were of equal merit. I well remember the laudatory and wondering remarks of .foreign visitors when passing around the stalls where the stately masses of the polled cattle were drawn up in a black and imposing array, even and level, as if the chisel of the sculptor had been plied over their grandly fleshed 'frames." The last part of the foregoing is what we, of course, have pleasure in noting — being that which characterizes the breed upon all "dresa occasions." In the grand march past of the breed the International Fat Stock Show of Poissy, 1857, is likely to be overlooked. Dutrone records the fact that "out of six prizes offered for polled oxen, Mr. William McCombie of Tillyfour obtained four. One of the Tillyf our steers proved to be the heaviest of all breeds, when weighed by order of the Emperor. He was a son of Bloomer, Mr. McCombie's favorite cow. The International Exposition^ at Poissy, 1862, created a world- wide sensation, only equaled by that which occurred in 1867 (Black Prince's year) and in 1878. At this Poissy show Mr. McCombie won the highest honors with the steer that came to be known as the "Poissy Ox" or the "Mammoth Ox." His girth was 9 feet, 8 inches — having "come out" four inches since his last appearance at Birm- ingham and Smith-field, four months previously, where he had gained the first prizes; his length from tail to chine was 5 feet, 6 inches; and from tail to poll 7 feet, 9 inches; his height was 5 feet, 1 inch, and length below knee 9 inches "round." He weighed 1,250 kilos (2,750 lbs). He was sold to the Emperor's butcher and a photograph taken of him for preservation. Mr. McCombie was also first in the younger class of steers; and first in both classes for females. In 1867, the great steer, Black Prince, from Tillyfour, carried all before him at the fat stock shows, crowning his career with the grand championship at Smithfield. That has been honor enough for most breeders, but McCombie was more fortunate. Black Prince so greatly impressed the late Queen Victoria that she "com- manded" his attendance at Windsor for her personal inspection. Later, after the black polled champion — the first that ever won the purple rosette at Smithfield — had joined the great majority, Queen Victoria visited Tillyfour — an imperial honor conferred on but mighty few of her loyal subjects in any walk of life. Eleven years later the fame of the Aberdeen- Angus breed was destined to be blazoned across the whole wide world. To the Uni- versal Exposition at Paris, sixteen doddies were dispatched from Scotland, McCombie contributing nine, Sir George MacPherson Grant, of Ballindalloch, six, and George Bruce, of Tochineal, one. The victory of this little band of blacks was thorough and complete. They swept the boards of all the prizes for which they were eligible to compete, winning among other honors, the grand championship for groups of foreign-bred cattle and the supreme championship as the best beef-producing animals on the grounds. This final strug- gle was with the white Charolaise breed of Prance, the bovine dis- 16 play in black and white having been described as the most pictur- esque ever witnessed. This sweeping triumph set the seal of fame upon the Aberdeen-Angus breed, its conquest of .the world's markets dating from that memorable season. In England and Ireland In 1875, a herd of Aberdeen-Angus cattle was founded in Sus- sex, in the south of England, and the year following the Langshott and the Duke of Grafton's herds were given being. In 1880, Dr. Clement Stephenson, who was to carry the black and all-black banner far to the front, started the Balliol College herd in the northern borderland. Its great success with the Smithfield cham- pions, Luxury in 1885, Young Bellona in 1887 and Benton Bride in 1894 made this herd's fame national and when Abbess of Turling- ton, daughter of Abbess of Benton, won the supreme championship at the Columbian in Chicago, 1893, international renown was accorded it without stint. £~J. J. Cridlan's Maisemore Park herd ia one of the most noted in nIB~South country and while many more could be mentioned by name the mere statement that around 100 breeders are now recording cattle from south o' Tweed will show how popular the Aberdeen-Angus is in England!"} Invasion of the Emerald Isle first took place as early as 1864, but owing to the disturbed condition of that country, little pro- gress was made for years. However, within the past two or three decades great strides forward have been made, there being now about as many breeders of Aberdeen-Angus cattle in Ireland as there are in England, with Hum Bland, perhaps, the leading expo- nent of the cult on the other side of St. George's Channel. The Scotch Herd Book It was after the Aberdeen Highland Society show of 1840, with the rising wave of interest and enthusiasm which then appeared, that the idea of a herd book was first mooted. Collection of records and data was begun in 1842, deposit being made in the museum of the Highland and Agricultural Society in Edinburgh. A severe setback was encountered in 1851 when the whole material brought together was destroyed by fire. A fresh start was made in 1857 at the request of some of the leading breeders, and Vol. 1 appeared in 1862. Vol. II was produced in 1872, and in subsequent years Vols. Ill, IV and V, all by private enterprise. Then, after the Paris Exposition of 1878, upon the initiative of Sir George Mac- pherson Grant, the Polled Cattle Society was formed, the first general meeting being held in 1880. Vol. VI was issued by the society, and in it only nine breeders south of the border had entries. At present there are about 600 members of the society. Galloways were included in the first four volumes of the Herd Book. 17 The Polled Herd Book was the name originally chosen, which name remained, after the exclusion of the Galloways, for the regis- ,« 1ry of cattle of the "Aberdeen and Angus breed," but in 18S6, fol- lowing the sensible example of the American association, the breed became known to the whole world as the Aberdeen-Angus and the British book was rechristened accordingly. The growing importance of the breed in Great Britain is proved by the establishment of the English Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Association in 1899 — the honorary secretary being Mr. Albert Pull- iig, Beddington, Croydon, who has published several interesting books relating to the breed. Again in Ireland, the Irish Aberdeen- "■ Angus Association was formed — the honorary secretary of which is Mr. Wickham H. B. Moorhead, Carnmeen, Newry. Aberdeen-Angus at Smithfield Show, London, England Dr. Clement Stephenson, of Balliol College Farm, Northum- berland, was the first great modern winner with Aberdeen-Angus cattle at Smithfield. But there were victories between that date back to 1867 ; and there had been Scotch cattle exhibited at Smith- Held as early as 1805. The first mention of Scotch cattle in the records of this great show was in that vear and Scotch cattle were exhibited in the following years: 1807-1811, 1825-1828, 1830-1832, 1836, 1840-1843, 1846-1851, 1852. From the last named year onward there were more or less regular exhibitions of Scotch cattle ; but it was not until 1856 — the year of the first Paris breeding show — that there was a separate class for Scotch polls — which included both Scotch breeds. The total number of prizes awarded up to 1851 for Scotch cattle was 43, for which there was awarded $2,500 ; all prizes being for steers or oxen. From 1862 to and including 1867 (Black Prince's jear), the Scotch won two silver cups — in 1865, a Scotch horned ox, exhibited by the Duke of Sutherland, and in 1867, the Tillyfour poll. In 1866, the silver cup for the best steer or ox was won by a Shorthorn-Scotch Polled (Aberdeen). It has been recorded that one of the Williamsons sold an Aberdeen ox which was exhibited at one of the shows previous to 1828 at least. Then in 1830, Mr. Watson sent his famous heifer and also later another steer ./"it was not until 1859 that Mr. McCombie exhibited at Smithfield, when he gained in that and the succeeding three years, and in 1864, 1867, 1868, 1870, 1871 and 1873, 1874 and 1875, the cup for the best Scot — besides, of course, the greater victories in 1867 with Rlack Prince. In 1871, James Bruce, Burnside, Fochabers, won the female ■-■bampionship at Smithfield with an Aberdeen -Angus three-year-old 18 heifer, bred at Mulben. The following year the same exhibitor sent forward the champion in a three-year-old steer bred by John Macpherson, who (on Mr. Paterson's death) had become tenant of the now historic Mulben. In this same year Mr. McCombie had won the championship at Birmingham. These two champions, of a comparatively youthful age, as ages were then considered, were thus the first specimens of the breed to shatter for ever the old- time prejudice — that a polled Scot, or Aberdeen- Angus rather, could not mature early. Aberdeen-Angus cattle were "unwelcome intruders" in England and for a while they only had an occasional nibble at the big things at the fat stock shows. Then the crowning victory of this, the Second Golden Age, occurred in 1861, when Sir William Gordon Cumming, of Altyre, with a pair of polls little more than two years and a half old, carried off both the male and female championships — the heifer at last being awarded the highest honors and the steer standing reserve to her. Again in 1887, Altyre exhibited the cham- pion steer. In 1901 and 1903 the best steers were shown by J. J. Oridlan, Maisemore Park, Gloucester. Females have rendered great service to the breed at the fat stock shows. Just recalling the champion of 1871, and 1881, we find the female championships won as follows : 1884, by John Stra- cban/ Montcoffer, Banff, 1885, Clement Stephenson (also grand championship), 1887, by the same, and again in 1889 and 1894 the same— the winner in the latter year being grand champion both at Birmingham and London. In 1893, the winner was J. Douglas Fletcher, Rosshire. Then in 1896, 1898, 1901 and 1902, Lord Strath- more, Glamis, won the female championship, each one of these being also the grand champion. In 1897, Lord Rosebery won with a heifer bred in the Vale of Alford, and again in 1906 and 1907 repeated the trick with Dalmeny home-breds. In 1905, Col. M'Inroy won with Burn Bellona, which was also grand champion, and in 1913, the Duke of Portland scored supreme victory with Beauty of Wel- beck. About the Crosses In the Prime Scots, of course, we include Aberdeen-Angus crosses, either way. Speaking of these Mr. Robert Bruce, well known 'in the leading live stock circles of both countries, said, "The Aberdeen-Angus-Shorthorn cross is highly valued by northern breeders, and the larger numbers of farmers in England and Ire- land who have resorted to this cross proves pretty conclusively the general appreciation of the many good qualifications belonging to the blend. Where ordinary judgment is exercised in the selec- tion of sires and dams, lie excellence of the produce is at once assured, as the blending of the Shorthorn and Aberdeen-Angus 19 blood results in a quick feeding and rent-paying one. A glance at The records of the great fat stock shows at once indicates the im- portant position taken by these Shorthorn-Aberdeen-Angus crosses in the annual prize award lists. There has been a wide-spread demand for Aberdeen-Angus bulls for crossing purposes all over the north of Scotland, and this system of crossing has also made its way into other portions of the kingdom. In my opinion it is immaterial how the cross is brought in, whether through the Short- horn sire and the polled cow, or the polled bull and the Shorthorn cow. Circumstances and situation may alone be left to guide the breeder in the selection of the sire to use." 20 The Breed In America Though perhaps the first Aberdeen- Angus animal that ever trod American soil was the cow Duchess which went from Portle- then in 1850, it was not until 1873 that stock was imported for the express purpose of improving the range cattle. In that year the late George Grant, of Victoria, Kansas, imported three bulls, two of which he exhibited at the Kansas City Fair — the first polls that ever appeared in an American showyard. These bulls, which created much interest, were the forerunners of the great influx which occurred a few years later as a result of the world-wide renown the breed had acquired by winning the two champion group prizes at Paris in 1878. These bulls were used upon the common stock of the range, horned and coarse, and they changed the "complexion" and appear- ance of the old stock. Many half-bred steers from these Aberdeen- Angus bulls were fed by a number of feeders and gave them a foretaste of the quality that lay beneath the black skins. In 1876 James MacDonald, the late secretary of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland visited the ranch and reported Ihem as doing splendidly. In 1876 there were probably more than 800 black polled calves after them, declared to have been superior to any ever seen in those parts before. They were short-legged, big around the girth; vigorous, healthy and thoroughly at home; they proved themselves superior in every way to the Shorthorn and other crosses; standing the winters better, coming out in remarkable condition, without the necessity of artificial food or coddling, as the other breeds required. It is a pity Mr. Grant did not live to reap the benefit of his foresight, which would have been his in good measure. Yet his work followed after him. In 1S83 there were sold in the Stock Yards at Kansas City, fourteen half- bred Aberdeen- Angus steers, the produce of the Grant bulls. They were bought by Charles Still, at $4.25, averaging 1038 lbs. in weight. Four months and six days later, they were sold at the same Yards for $5.45, when they averaged 1,280 lbs, in weight, and then they were not "full-fed." The inquiry from America had just begun after the Paris Exposition. Perhaps the first to seriously" inquire into the oppor- tunities for importing the breed into the United States, was Mr. Libbey, then editor of the "Rural New Yorker," who visited Scot- land one summer and made an investigation of the breed. Then John Wallace, publisher of the American Trotting Eegister and "Wallace's Monthly," wrote to Tillyfour about them, having become interested with his friend, Mr. Eedfield, Batavia, New York— one of the first importers. But it Was nK until after the dispersion sale of the Tillyfour herd that the rush— the boom— began. What might be termed the parent herd of America was that formed by Anderson & Findlay, Lake Forest, 111. Mr. Findlay was indeed a native of Buchan and had retained all the affection for the 21 native "humlies" that everyone acquainted with them in youth undoubtedly is bound to preserve. It was during the summer of the memorable year, 1878, that Anderson & Findlay commis- sioned Mr. Findlay of Peterhead, Scotland, brother of the latter, to purchase five heifers and a bull from the best herds; which commission was followed by others. Anderson & Findlay exhibited their importations at the Illinois and other fairs. Among the animals in their first importation was a bull from the old Westside of Brux herd, descending from Keillor blood. In the next importation visits were made to Mains of Kelly, Well- house, Bridgend, Earnside and other herds ; resulting in the secur- ing of specimens of the Jennets — derived from old Young Jenny Lind, a Tillyfour foundress; Lady Jean, a good old Rothiemay sort; Montbletton Charlotte, Westertown Victoria and other fam- ilies. Waterside King 2d of the old Fanny of Kinnaird tribe, and Basuto, a Blackbird-Erica bull headed the new herd. Again, in 1882, Scotland was revisited; and the herd of Burleigh & Bodwill, that had been formed at Vassalboro, Me., was purchased, in which were Ericas, and specimens of Drumin, Mains of Advie and other tribes. The verdict of the owners of the herd which was the foremost in the country for years was that "for plains and beef cattle, early maturity, weight, quality of beef and hardiness they cannot be surpassed." In 1881 the herd was conspicuous at St. Louis, in 1882 had the championship for the best cow at Kansas City, and it also spread the fame of the breed at many other fairs. From this foun- tain-head many American herds were supplied — notably those of the late T. W. Harvey, Turlington, Neb., and J. V. Farwell, Chicago, who was interested in land development in the Panhandle of Texas. The influence of the Lake Forest herd was spread wide athwart the country. On the X. I. T. Ranch, which was the seene of the great drama played by the Lake Forest sires, experience fully demonstrated the value of the breed as range transformers — just as the Victoria bulls had done in Kansas. On the other hand the Turlington herd, going into the fight of the breeds at the fairs and fat stock shows, did more perhaps than any other to break down the barriers and make easier the path of the feeder and exhi- bitor who came after Mr. Harvey's death. In the same year F. B. Redfield, Batavia, New York, established his herd; his purchases were made at Kinochtry,. being three heifers and a bull — all by Shah — senior male champion at Dumfries, 1878. The females were of families deep in Keillor blood. Two years later sixteen animals from the same herd were imported — nine bulls and seven females, mostly of the same blood. This herd made an enviable reputation in the great showyards and the bulls carried the stamp of the market-topper to the ranches where they were introduced. Mr. Redfield's estimation of them is summed up in a word — "they have constitutions of iron." 22 In 1881, J. J. Sogers, Abingdon, 111., founded a herd by selec- tions from Kinochtry— of Favorites, Baronesses, Princesses and other families, six of them being by Prince of the Realm, Shah's son. In the same year, Messrs. Gudgell and Simpson, formed their herd; Col. Simpson visiting Scotland and personally select- ing the foundation stock. His selections were made from Water- side, where he got Blackcap (4042) bred at Ballindalloch— an Erica-Mayflower, Rosa Bonheur 2d (3531) bred at Tillyfour; and others of Drumin, Greystone, Old Morlich, Mains of Advie and other noted tribes. The bull selected to head the herd was Knight of St. Patrick, from Bridgend, which had a very creditable career in this country, siring some of the most noted animals that appeared at the early shows. In 1887 this herd was sold to the Fairmount Cattle Company, Stratton, Neb., and it also made an excellent record in the ring. In 1882 A. B. Matthews, who had already secured some ani- mals from Canada and elsewhere, visited the home of the breed and made an excellent selection from Haughton, Greystone, Water- side, Kinochtry, Easter Tulloch, Gavenwood, Baads, Balquhain and Blairshinnoch. His herd when he had got it all assembled numbered 170 head. Mr. Matthews was a prominent figure in breed circles and at the showyards and sales rings for a number of years succeeding his entry into the ranks of the importers. He wrote early in his experience: "The prospect for the breed is beyond anything that I have even known for any class of cattle." Another great exponent of the breed of this era was George W. Henry, also of Kansas City, whose visit to Scotland is still remembered with pleasure. He visited Bridgend and secured Dandy 2d (3266), Empress (Queen Mother family) and other old fash- ioned sorts. Greystone, the old herd of James Reid, so well known to all breeders, supplied Bella 2d, which was later sold by Mr. Henry for $1,000. Other selections were also made from Wester Fowlis, Blairshinnoch, Wellhouse and elsewhere. The bulls inclu- ded Black Commodore from Montbletton — a Ballindalloch Coquette. Mr. Henry's appearance in the fat stock show arena is mentioned in a succeeding chapter. This year, 1882, also saw the founding of the herd of Estill & Elliott, Woodlands, Mo., which had a marked effect in forwarding the fortunes of the breed. Among their purchases were Effle of Aberlour, at the price of $2,400; Carrie of Montbletton, May of Achlochrach and Harriet of Balfluig, from which were bred the state fair winners of the herd, which was dispersed in 1900, when 58 females averaged $583, and 14 bulls $561. Lucia Estill brought $2,800 from W. A. McHenry, then a new star in the horizon. Pur- chasers from eleven states took home animals from this noted herd that had stood in the front of the battle line for the breed. A special place in the history of the breed will always be reserved for George Geary, who, with his brother, started his career 23 as a breeder and importer in 1882, purchasing nineteen head from Gavenwood of the strongest families maintained there. Eepresen- \ tatives of Ballindalloch, Balliol College Farm, Kinochtry, Easter Tulloch, Westertown, Montbletton, Rothiemay, Drumiri and Queen Mother families were chosen. In 1886 they startled the breeders by the purchase of the entire Gavenwood and Rothiemay herds numbering fifty-eight and thirty-four head respectively. The story of Geary's Black Prince of 1883 is given in the next chapter. The great year 1883, also saw the advent of the Heatherton herd of John S. and W. R. Goodwin, now located at Naperville, 111. This herd is famed as the home of the Blackbirds and the early world-beaters, Judge and Justice. This year (1883) was per- haps the banner year as far as importations went, for it was estim- ated that in it 800 animals were imported from the old country to join those in America and form new centers of the breed. The late - Campbell Macpherson Grant, brother of Sir George, sent over alto- gether 230 head, commissions for various breeders, and that was perhaps the largest number ever sent over by one man in one season. In this year, Leonard Brothers, Mount Leonard, Mo., founded their herd — from purchases made for them by that commissioner. Two years later Mr. Leonard was exemplifying the merits of the breed as the market-toppers, having sent a lot of sixteen steers to Chicago, weighing an average of 1,593 pounds and selling for a record price. The Turlington Herd As time goes on the Turlington herd stands out more and more prominently in the perspective of the past. T. W. Harvey, its owner, lavished his resources on the breed — not in a wasteful, but in a thoroughly constructive manner. He determined to have the best — that the Aberdeen- Angus should come into its own. And but for him the hey-day of the breed might have been longer in dawning than it was. He was fortunate in enlisting the ^services of William Watson, son of the late Hugh Watson, of Keillor — and if there was ever anyone who would have gone through fire for the breed it was "Uncle Willie," as he was affectionately called. (His assuring "Yes! Yes!" still rings and vibrates in the minds andJV hearts of those who have grasped his hand and listened to his elo-tt/yv quence. William Waton must have lived in an earthly paradise ^ ' among the Turlington doddies — where he could give them all his love for them demanded. The Turlington herd was sumptuous — superb. It contained thirteen Heatherblooms, six of the Bride family, seven Jean of Easter Tullochs three Nightingales from Waterside; one Kinnaird Fanny, four Alexandra of Montblettons, three Queen Mothers two Matilda of Watersides, three of the famous Abbesses, six Beautv of 24 / v /' Glamis, five Victoria of Westertoyns and Balwyllos, four Waterside Minnies, three Keillor Favorites and Princesses, two of the Progress family, three Easter Tulloch Margarets, six of the Carnation tribe of Corskie and South Ythsie, two Hecubas, two Duchess of Shemp- s tones, one Evelyn of FintraWand four of other sorts. The sires at the head of the herd were Gmido, a Kinochtry Favorite, by Young Captain (4238), dam Beauty of Brucehill (742) ; Black Knight, bred by Gudge.ll & Simpson, sire Knight of St. Patrick, dam Blackcap (1552) ; Eurymedon, an Erica by the famous Balliol College farm Souter Johnny; and Errant Knight, another Erica, by Sea King (1450), dam Errantine (4642). The breeding herd carried off the grand championship at Nebraska State Fair in 1884, when headed by Guido and Waterside Minnie. Thus Turlington was the home of the Heatherblooms and of Abbess of Turlington, with which MeHenry carried away the cham- pion honors over all beef breeds at the Columbian Exposition in 1893. A purchase by Mr. Harvey from Bradley Hall, Antelope, be- came also the dam of the first International Grand Champion steer, Advance, exhibited by Stanley R. Pierce in 1900. The victories of the herd in the fat stock shows are recounted in the section dealing with "The Breed in the Arena." In 1883 also, J. J. Hill, the great railroad magnate who tried to benefit the farmers in the Northwest by spreading good Aber- deen-Angus bulls in that territory, obtained from Clement Stephen- son, Balliol College Farm, seven young bulls of such quality as Plum Pudding and Patrician of the Mulben branch of the Pride of Aber- ' deens ; the twins, First Flight and First Foot, of the Boghead Flora family; Bursar of the Bothiemay Heather Bells; Spice Box of the old Bognie Southesks ; and Advocate of the famous Abbess family, specimens of the latter of which had been previously sent to Tur- lington. Mr. Hill, was an extensive importer and successful exhi- bitor at the great fat stock shows for many years. - In Canada In 1876, Professor Brown, an Aberdonian, who occupied at that time the position of director of the Ontario Experimental Farm at Guelph, imported the bull Gladiolus and the heifers Eyebright and Leochel Lass 4th. These formed the nucleus of the breed in Canada, achieving a reputation not only as beef cattle, but as pro- ducers of milk rich in butter fat. „Hon. M. H. Cochrane founded one of the most valuable herds in this hemisphere by purchases first made in 1881, from Glamis, .obtaining Beauty of Glamis (3515), an Erica-topped specimen of that family. He also secured the finest specimens from Powrie, Waterside, Corskie, Easter Skene, Guisachan, Altyre and other herds. Blackbird of Corskie 2d (3024), the first-prize cow at Perth, 1879, by John Bright, representing the Montbletton May- .. / \ ower family, was one of the cracks of the herd. Mabel 6th (4295), Pride, was got from Methlick ; Vine 2d from the Earl of Southesk nd Pride of Aberdeen 20th from Bridgend. Most of the Scotch erds were drawn on, twenty-five bulls being selected at one time for the Cochrane Eanch Company, in the Northwest Territory. Mossom Boyd, Bobcaygeon, Ont, established a herd in 1881, founded upon old family material. The herd made a marked im- pression in Ontario and was one of the best ever put together. During its existence it had a splendid record at the Provincial and other shows. Hon. J. H. Pope, Dominion Minister of Agriculture, formed a herd also in 1881, the number purchased being fifteen heifers and a bull. Included in the selection were Charmers (Queen Mothers) Zaras, Castle Fraser Minas, Ballindalloch Lady Fannys, and other specimens of the Queen Mother tribe. The Model Farm herd of George Whitfield, Rougemont, Que^ bee, was selected by John Grant, Bogs of Advie, among the lot be- ing Judge, the Ballindalloch exhibit at Paris in 1878, that later went to the Heatherton herd already mentioned. This selection was followed by a second, consisting of still higher-bred specimens, in- cluding Ericas, Queen Mothers, t Jilts, Montbletton Mayflowers, othiemay Georginas, Drumin Lucys and Wester town Roses. Become the Perpetual Champions in the American Arena The late George Geary was the first to realize that the breeders would have to do something in the fat stock show ring. He was able to secure the steer Black Prince, bred in Aberdeenshire, which had stood second at Smithfield in 1882, when shown by Mr. Low- thian Bell, Yorkshire. He was shipped from Liverpool, the next year, when he weighed over 2,500 lbs. When he reached Kansas City after a fearfully rushed journey — which had to be made by "express" at a cost of |400 to be in time for the show, he dropped to 2,360 lbs. After such a fearful strain he was not shown in very fit trim, and did not realize the hopes of Mr. Geary and was com- paratively overlooked. But at Chicago, he gave the breeders a foretaste of the quality of the breed by winning the championship prize given by the butchers— always the friends of the Aberdeen- Angus as the best three-year-old, beating in this notable contest the steer that had been placed over him at Kansas City, as well as the steer that was later awarded the open grand championship at the same show. Next year, 1884, he appeared again; and when- slaughtered his carcass dressed 71.3 per cent net to gross. G. W. Henry, Kansas City, one of the pioneer importers, as we have seen was also a demonstrator of the breed at the Kansas City Fat Stock Show. In 1884, he exhibited an animal that made a great impression on the breeders— Bride 3d of Blairshinnoch, which 26 easily won the prize as the best cow of any breed, and when slaugh- tered won the first prize in the dressed carcass competition. Alive, she weighed 1,395 pounds, her carcass, 881 pounds, being 65.15 per cent of dead to live weight. She got no pampering, indeed being taken from the pasture, where she received all the feeding she got — and that was little. At the same show an Aberdeen-Angus- Hereford grade, winner of the gold medal for the best beef animal bred by the exhibitor, weighed 1,615 pounds, being 665 days old, showing the satisfactory daily gain of 2.43 pounds. At the same show, Kansas City, 1884, the Indiana Blooded Stock Co., won gold medal for the. best beef animal bred and fed by the exhibitor, with the heifer Burleigh's Pride, an Aberdeen- AngusJEereford cross, whose weight for 665 days was 1613 pounds, a daily gain of 2.43. The same exhibitors' yearlings were first and second for early maturity in a class of ten of the different breeds. The American Aberdeen-Angus Breeders' Association also showed a two-year-old, which, second in its class on foot, was fii-sr in its class for early maturity. Benholm, exhibited by J. J. Hill, the railroad magnate of ihe Northwest, at the great 1885 Chicago Shpw, is another landmark. He was then two years old and dressed out 71.4, which rather opened the eyes of the breeders. Again at Kansas, 1886, appeared Sandy by Knight of St. Pat- rick, "which had a wonderful career" shown by Messrs, Gudgell & Simpson. He weighed 1,470 pounds at 393 days old, showing a gain of 2.47 pounds per day. He won first prize as a yearling at the American Fat Stock show, at Chicago, 1885, next year the Breeder's Gazette's gold shield for the best in the show bred and fed by the exhibitor, and the championship of the entire show over all breeds, grades and ages. At that time he showed an average daily gain of 1.97 pounds. In 1887 at Chicago, when he headed the Sensational Turlington herd, that won the grand championship, he weighed 2,225 pounds at 1,322 days old, which gave a rate of 1.68 pounds gain per day. Turlingtons Turn In 1887, we come to Turlington's year, when that great king of doddie men, made such a fight for the breed that has never been forgotten. He, aided by "Uncle Willie" Watson, brought the doddies forth in grand style, bearing the black standard aloft in the thickest of the fray and carrying terror into the ranks of the breeders in the contending camps. Then it was that "The Black- Watch" was on guard — and it was well they were. But, notwith- standing all their vigilance, this year went down into history as the "should have been Aberdeen-Angus year." Yet one glorious vic- tory was won — that of the grand champion herd. 27 Mr. Harvey had been victorious all along the line at Kansas City, winning the championship there over all breeds with Black Prince of Turlington, and also the herd championship with Black Prince, Tarn o'Shanter and Alexander Knight, and many other prizes. Coming to Chicago there was a harder task laid out for his 'intruders," but though the fortunes of war went against him in the single steer championship, he nevertheless swept the field when it came to the herds championship, which proved one of the most sensational witnessed on American soil. His crack herd con- sisted of Sandy, son of the Pride Knight of St. Patrick, Black Prince by Guido, Tarn o'Shanter, son of Black Knight (a son of "St. Pat") and Alexander Knight, by Black Knight also. It was a phenomenal exhibit, but the judges split and John C. Imboden, Decatur, 111., was called in as referee. He ordered the contesting herds to draw up in a row, red and black alternately, and placed the blacks first. It was a daring award at the time, but after it was made the doddies were established in the front rank. Mr. Harvey's winnings at Kansas City had been $2,045; at Chicago, $6,185 — which figures show the magnitude of his victory. And the doddie men were listening also to the news from across the sea — from Birmingham and Smithfield — Young Bellona was the double champion, and to her at Smithfield another Aberdeen- Angus stood reserve. In this memorable year of 1887, also came out The wonderful white-legged steer, Dot, shown by Wallace Estill, who sold him to Mr. Imboden and that Illinois feeder won the grand championship with him the following year. Dot weighed 1,515 pounds when 863 days old — equal to a daily gain of 1.75 pounds. He dressed 1,040 pounds — equal to 69 per cent of his live weight. In the practical exhibitions, dressed to live weight, percentage of daily gain and carcass tests, the Aberdeen-Angus also this year proved themselves true to their title as prime Scots and the pre- mier beef breed. American Breeders Organize The American Aberdeen-Angus Breeders' Association was in- corporated in 1883, under the laws of the State of Illinois — just ten years after the first importation by Mr. George Grant, Victoria, Kansas. The petition for the charter of the Association was signed by William T. Holt, Charles Gudgell, H. W. Elliott and A. B. Mat- thews. The directors for the first year were, W. T. Holt, Denver, Col. John Geary, London, Ont, Canada, H. C. Burleigh, Vassalboro, Me., Charles Gudgell, Independence, Mo., Stephen Peary, Trenton, Mo., Wallace Estill, Estill, Mo., A. M. Fletcher, Indianapolis, Ind., and Abner Graves, Dow City, Iowa. W. T. Holt was elected first president; Mr. Burleigh, first vice-president, and Charles Gudgell, secretary and treasurer. In 1888 Mr. Gudgell was succeeded in 28 the secretaryship by Thomas McFarlane, Iowa City, la.; and two j ears later the offices of the association were removed from Iowa City to Harvey, 111., a manufacturing suburb of Chicago, founded by T. W. Harvey, the laird of Turlington. In 1902 the, headquar- ters of the association were located in the Pedigree Record Build- ing, Union Stock Yards, Chicago, the most natural place for it. In 1907, Mr. Chas. Gray, became secretary. Following W. T. Holt, the presidents have been : H. C. Burleigh, Vassalboro, Me. ; A. M. Fletcher, Indianapolis, Ind. ; George Geary, London, Ont. ; T. W. Harvey, Chicago; W. A. McHenry, Denison, Iowa; H. W. Elliot, Estill, Mo.; E. S. Burwell, Madison, Wis.; M. D. Evans, Emerson, Iowa; O. E. Bradfute, Cedarville, Ohio; L. McWhorter, Aledo, 111. ; W. F. Dickenson, Eedwood Falls, Minn. ; L. H. Kerrick, Bloomington, 111.; E. T. Davis, Iowa City, Iowa; J. S. Goodwin, Chicago; George Stevenson, Jr., Waterville, Kan.; W. J. Miller, Newton, Iowa; M. A. Judy, West Lebanon, Ind.; C. E. Marvin, Paynes Depot, Ky. ; H. J. Hess, Waterloo, Iowa, and John D. Evans, Sugar Grove, 111. (1913). In 1888, membership, which had been originally fixed at 200, was made unlimited, and the number at present is nearly 3,000. (In the various volumes issued by the Association there have been entered a total of 173,000 animals ; each volume receiving successive accretions of about 12,000. In 1890, $3,000 was set aside for the World's Fair Fund, 1893. The membership fee was raised from $10 to $20. The Breed in the Dual Purpose Field The record of the breed as a beef champion has become so thor- oughly established that it might be supposed it has made no pre- tensions to milking honors. Nevertheless, the "Aberdeen-Angus breed produced the champion at the great show of the British Dairy- Farmers' Association, held in London, 1892. The victory was certainly a great feather in the cap of the breed and the Aberdeen "Free Press" in reporting the event said: "To those who know the history of the breed, the position taken by J. F. Spencer's six-year-old polled cow, Black Bess, will hardly occasion surprise. The victory will probably stimulate breeders to give more attention to the milking qualities of their cattle." This would indicate that good milkers were common enough then to occasion no great remark. The number of points on which this victory was won, was the highest ever scored at that show and the cow was described as a quite first-rate specimen for the purposes of town milk-sellers— "the special clients of the British Dairy Farmers' Association." This cow was not a singular instance by any means; there are many like her being bred today. What is inherent in a breed can 29 by training be discovered and developed, and that heavy milking quality is inherent in the Aberdeen-Angus breed is very easily proved. From the Scottish Farmer's Magazine we were able to glean the following records of the oldest herd now in existence, that of Eobert Walker of Portlethen, referring to the year 1845: Cow No. 1, 7 years old, had twin calves three times, and has been but once dry since she calved in 1839, 3,024 pints Scotch or about 7,500 lbs.) ; No. 2, 8 years old, 2,931 pints (7,326 lbs.) ; No. 3, 7 year old, 2,388 pints (6,000 lbs.), twice had twins; No. 4, 7 years old, 2,020 pints (5,000 lbs.), has had seven calves. Another, 11 years old, gave 1,830 pints (4,575 lbs.). The last was a prize cow at the national shows, as likely were some of the others, for Robert Walker was a highly successful exhibitor in the regular classes of the breed at the national shows, and these records justify the idea of the breed being a dual-purpose kind. Sixteen to eighteen and even twenty Scotebr pints (40 to 50 lbs.) were not uncommon daily records noted among the progeni- tresses of the leading tribes, and they were "steady milkers," all the year round. In later years Mr. Fuller ton having to stock his farm with other cattle than the native polled, on account of having suffered losses on three occassions from rinderpest and pleuro-pneu- monia was wont to dilate upon the milking qualities of the early polls and "their ready tendency to fatten and 'also milk well." Old Lady Ann (743) of the old Kinnaird Castle herd, believed by Chas. Carnegie to have been the oldest cow entered in the Scotch herd book had a host of descendants all excellent milkers, having the especial faculty of continuing to give a large quantity of milk till close on the time of calving ; and, if allowed, would continue to milk on until they did calve. From those who observed the milking propensity of Old Lady Ann and her descendants, it was believed that many of them gave more milk than any of the Ayreshires, from one year's end to another; though possibly not so much im- mediately after calving. Lady Carnegie used to recount the tradi- tions of the milking qualities of the old Kinnaird polls — they were hereditary milkers. Emily, the dam of Erica, was a most valuable dairy cow, like Black Meg. Mary Ann of Rannieston, that sold for the highest price at the Bridgend sale in 1857, was described as "a very deep milker;" Young Kate, bred by Alexander Bowie, was described as "the best milker" in the Mains of Kelly herd. Rosalie of Bogarrow (27198) gave 45 lbs r a day for a month after calving. George Dickenson, one of the first to establish a herd of Aberdeen-Angus in England, has put it on record that certain strains of the breed gave fully the average quantity of milk given by any breed, the quality being second only to that of the Jersey. But many assert that the quality surpasses even that of the famed island breed." 30 t - **' William Kobertson, Aberlour, Maine, always gave much atten- tion to the milking properties of his herd; and his experience was that, "by very little extra trouble, it was possible, without sacri- ficing the merits of the breed in the matter of beef production to rear animals that would yield a copious supply of milk of choice quality. Lord Airlie, one of the substantial patrons of the breed, paid particular attention to the dairy qualities of his favorites. From 35 to 40 lbs. was a common daily record in his herd. His cow, Bell of Airlie, used to milk all the year round. The Drummuir herd was also a striking example of how well the polls responded to the pail test. Nothing was kept for breeding which did not show promise in this direction; and the herd, developed along such lines, simply proved the early claims made for the breed. The Castle Craig herd, too, was founded by Sir Thomas D. Gibson-Carmichael upon milking lines, all the original selections being made for the general utility, especially as milk producers. The foundress of one of the best strains in the herd was Beauty of Tillyfour, which produced a tribe of noted milkers, as ell as regular and true breeders, with robustness of constitution. The practical value of the Aberdeen-Angus milking propensity, has, however long been familiar to discerning American breeders. J. H. Moore, Cook County, 111., maintained a herd of pedigreed and grade Aberdeen-Angus cows as a working, money-making dairy. His experience led him to the conclusion that well selected grade Aberdeen-Angus cows are valuable for dairy purposes just as much as they are for beef, and that the quality of their milk and the continuance of the period during which they may be relied upon to yield a supply are both much in their favor. The Oatman Con- densed Milk Company, to whom Mr. Moore . consigned the milk reported a test made at their factory of Mr. Moore's registered and high-grade Aberdeen-Angus cows. The samples tested on Novem- ber 22, averaged 5.85 per cent butter fat, and those tested a week later, averaged 5.32 per cent. The test made from the milk of the entire herd of grade Aberdeen-Angus cows averaged from 4 to 4.50 per cent butter fat for the entire season, which was one of the highest, if not the highest test of milk from any dairy coming to the factory. Prof. Brown of the Ontario College of Agriculture made extensive tests in regard to the specific gravity of milk from dif- ferent breeds and found that the Aberdeen-Angus breed recorded 111.0, the Hereford grade 106.0; Shorthorn grade and the Ayr- shire 103.0; Hereford 91.0; Shorthorn 86.0. When the record for yield of butter from milk by weight were secured they showed that the Aberdeen-Angus also stood first with 3.72 per' cent, fol- lowed by the Hereford grades 2.54 per cent. Shorthorn grades 2.31 per cent and Herefords 2.01 per cent. In a series of tests made in the county of Banff, Scotland, in which the best stocks of the county were represented, Mr. Findlay 31 of Aberlour supplied cream from the cows of his herd which pro- duced from seven quarts a return of nine pounds of butter; while the Countess of Seafleld's herd supplied eight quarts of cream pro- ducing ten pounds of butter. A very striking demonstration of the milking qualities of the breed is supplied by the determination of John Moir, in far away Australia, to maintain the reputation of the breed as to milking qualities, against all disparagement. Mr. Moir issued a challenge to the breeders of all cattle in South Australia, and as a result of the test the Aberdeen-Angus cattle came out easily victorious, Mr. Moir showing two cows, both over twelve years old, that were giving twenty quarts a day, and had been doing so for three months after calving. He also cited the case of a herd of polls in the coldest district of Victoria that milked satisfactorily through the exceptionally severe winter, while the other breeds were dying off by the score of exposure and starvation. These are only several instances mentioned by Mr. Moir, who thus scored for the breed a decisive triumph on that continent. The result was gratifying; though owing to the scarcity of heifers of the breed, the cattle men went ahead raising calves from Ayrshire cows and polled sires; and so there arose a keen demand for Aberdeen-Angus cattle both for beef and for dairy purposes. The leading Sydney milk purveyor, F. A. MacKenzie, - of Waverley, mentioned a cow, Emily, a poll- cross, winner of the championship at the Sydney Royal in 1901, which had for the prior three seasons been giving close to 60 lbs. of milk a day for almost three months after calving. His cham- pion cow of the year following at Sidney, also a black polled cross, gave at the show tests 134.14 lbs. of milk and 6.95 lbs. of butter in three days. "The quality, texture and flavor of the butter were of the very best, and freely commented on as such." Many other facts of the same kind come to us from Australia, Mr. Moir supply- ing examples that are convincing. He states that Mr. Kerr, of Glenroy, near Melbourne, who milks 500 cows a day assured him that some of the best cows he ever milked were Aberdeen-Angus further adding that he had never seen one with sore teats. Mr. Beaty, Toolern, Victoria, with some twenty cows of the breed had five giving over 20 quarts a day, and one 23y 2 quarts — the poorest giving 14 quarts. Again, later in Canada we find Mr. Bridges of Surrey, Eng- land, reporting the case of a farmer who bred Aberdeen-Angus bulls to Ayrshire cows, the crosses obtained being the best milkers he ever possessed. In Argentina, dairy farmers in the vicinity of Bahia Blanca find an excellent cross for dairy purposes is obtained by using Aberdeen-Angus bulls on their Holstein cows. It is a very well known fact that the old Buchan Polls were famous in the dairy way — equal in the opinion of many who com- pared them to the Ayrshire breed. In 1805 the total product of the dairy in the county of Aberdeen was valued at fl, 150,000, which 32 was just |100,000 less than the value of the total number of cattle killed or exported for beef; and the principal amount of which was derived from the Buchan district. The Buchan cows had such a dairy fame that Sir John Sinclair, the founder of the Board of Agriculture and the developer of the famous Statistical Account of Scotland, and of the "General Views of the Agriculture of the counties, who was therefore well posted upon the best everywhere in the United Kingdom, sent into Buchan for specimens to go into Caithness, his own county, "to fill the dairy." James Henderson, writing in 1826, said: "In the district of Buchan the cows are much famed for the dairy. It is also inter- esting to know that Sir John Macpherson Grant, grandfather of the present baronet, we presume, also sent to Buchan for specimens of the breed ; these being among the first, if not the first, polled cattle, we can trace as existing at that headquarters of the polled." The standard work on dairying published in Britain is Pro- fessor Sheldon's "Dairy Farming," the first edition of which ap- peared in 1879, and in it we find some very pertinent remarks re- lating to the milking qualities of the Aberdeen-Angus breed— which, first referring to the general idea of the public as to the lack of milk- ing qualities in the breed, continue thus : "There are, however, many excellent milkers among the Aberdeens ; and it is safe to as- sume from these instances that the breed is not by any means dis- titute of the qualities which go to make up a first-class dairy breed. The one thing needful is to cultivate, as has been done in other breeds, the development of the lacteal organs. Were "they treated as the Ayrshires or the Shorthorns have been, there can be little doubt of their improving in milking properties. When regularly milked by hand they are commonly found to give a very fair quan- tity; and under this training and careful breeding in the same di- rection these polled Aberdeen cattle would after a time be found equal to some of the more widely established dairy breeds. Deep milking, like many another physical property or quality, is a ques- tion of breeding and training." Dr? Thos. F. Jamieson, Lecturer on Agriculture in Aberdeen University, in a lecture remarked on the neglect of the former milking qualities of the breed and added: "Valuable prizes should also be given in the proper classes for animals uniting fine sym- metry with good dairy qualifications. If the breeders would also afford some information in their printed catalogues as to the milk- ing pedigrees of animals they offer for sale, I think they would soon find that their customers would appreciate it, and that animals well come in this respect would be looked after, and would fetch high prices at their sales." It is evident that if Prof. Jamieson's suggestion had been gen- erally adopted we would have had another story to tell, of as deep interest as that concerning the fat stock shows. For instance, at the Aberdeen Show of the Highland Society in 1834, the first ter- riforial visitation of the society to that old home of the breed, prizes yivere given for the first time for butter and cheese. The prize for /cjared butter went to Mrs. Walker, Wester Fintray; and that for reet-milk cheese to Mrs. Farquharson, lady of the laird of Inver- auld ; the second in this class also going to Mrs. Walker. This was cfertainly a feather in the Wester Fintray cap — one that would be valued today. Had the Highland Society continued its prizes we would certainly have heard more of the dairy qualities of the breed since then. But it is this very policy of prize giving that the American Aberdeen-Angus Breeders' Association is going to inaugurate in this country, and with the institution of the classes it will promote and endow their show with quite a new interest aroused in the black- skins. It will create an entirely new opportunity— for new men, in. "rTfew^situations, to take a hand in the development of the breed. Its whole history, indeed, proves that basically it was always what is now called a dual-purpose breed. The breeders not only breed for beef, but for milk. They had rules set down which they had fol- lowed for generations previous to 1813, the date of Skene-Kei th's famous "View" ; these rules were : "1. For beef — the animal should be handsome, well-formed, short-legged with a smart or keen eye, and a rough ear. "2. For milk — a small neck and head, broad in the hind quar- ter, her bag or udder lying well forward on her belly; and her teats well spread, or pretty distant from each other.' These rules indicate a high idea in breeding and therefore we need not wonder at the statement that "the county of Aberdeen has so much improved its breed of black cattle." That this was real "im- provement" and that the breed was thus described as "improved" at the beginning of the last century is here abundantly borne out. The breeders were thoroughly alive to the dual-purpose of the im- proved breed. Literature on the Breed The following embraces what may be considered the standard British and American works and articles on the breed: "Cattle and Cattle Breeders," by William McCombie, 1867 third edition revised by James Macdonald, Secretary of the High- land and Agricultural Society, 1882. (Blackwood & Sons, Edin- burgh.) "History of Aberdeen-Angus Cattle," by James MacDonald and James Sinclair, 1882. Second Edition, 1910, revised by James Sin- clair, Editor of the Livestock Journal, London. (Vinton & Co., London.) 34 "The Breed that Beats the Becord, a demonstration of the prop- erties, prepotence, pre-eminence and prestige of Aberdeen-Angus Cattle," 1884, by E. C. Auld. (Aldine Co., Detroit.) Out of print. "Aberdeen-Angus Cattle, being Notes on Fashion and an Ac- count of the Leading Families of the Breed," by Albert Pulling. (Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co., London, and William Pile, Ldg., 26-High-St, Sutton.) "Aberdeen-Angus Cattle, their Kecent History," by Jas B. Bar- clay. ("Banffshire Journal," Banff.) "Famous Aberdeen- Angus Sires," by George Hendry. (Trans- actions of the Highland and Agricultural Society, 1898, fifth series, Vol. 10.) "A History of the Ballindalloch Herd of Aberdeen-Angus Cat- tle," by C. Macpherson Grant. ("Banffshire Journal,' Banff.) "Aberdeen-Angus Cattle on the Bange," the classic exposition of the breed as Bange Cattle by George Findlay. (Breeder's Gazette, 1899.) "Aberdeen-Angus Cattle and their crosses as Beef Producers," By Albert Pulling, Secretary, English A.-A. Association. "Beport of Kansas State Board of Agriculture on Polled Cattle, 1897," by F. D. Coburn, Secretary, Topeka, Kansas. "Aberdeen-Angus Cattle, Breeding and Management," by Clem- ent Stephenson, D. Sc, F. E. C. V. S. Proceedings of Armstrong College Agricultural Students' Association, 1908-9. "Management of Aberdeen-Angus Cattle," by Clement Stephen- son, D. Sc, F. E. C. V. S. (Journal of Eoyal Agricultural Society of England, 1894, Volume V. Third series, Part 1.) "Supremacy of Aberdeen-Angus Cattle." Eesults of Leading Fat Stock Shows during the past decade in Great • Britain and America." Edited by Chas. Gray, Secretary, American Aberdeen- Angus Breeders' Association, 817 Exchange Ave., Chicago. There are also articles on Aberdeen- Angus cattle in the following standard works : Stephens' "Book of the Farm" ; revised edition by James Mac- donald. (W. Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh.) "The complete Grazier ;" revised edition by Dr. W. Fream and W. E. Bear. (Crosby, Lockwood & Son, London.) Prof. E. Wallace's "Farm Live Stock of Great Britain." (Crosby, Lockwood & Son, London.) "Encyclopaedia of Agriculture"; edited by C. E. Green and David Young. (William Green & Sons, Edinburgh.) "Standard Cyclopaedia of Modern Agriculture" ; edited by Prof. E. Patrick Wright. (Gresham Publishing Co., London.) 35 Live Stock Handbooks — "Cattle— Breeds and Management." (Vinton & Co., Ltd., London.) "Chronicles of Aberdeen-Angus Cattle," serially in Breeder's Gazette, 1887, by E. C. Auld. "Families of Aberdeen Angus Cattle," serially in Breeder's Ga- zette, by John S. Goodwin. "History of the Heatherton Herd," by John S. Goodwin, 1897 ; second edition 1903. "Aberdeen-Angus Cattle in Bailey's Encyclopedia of American Agriculture." (Macmillan Co., New York), by John S. Goodwin, 1905. "The Live Stock Journal Almanac" contains an annual review of the breed happenings, now written by Jas. E. Barclay, formerly by Geo. Hendry. 36 vPHJttitf'lfjr. • utI stock iranua £P ORIGIN OF The Aberdeen-Angus AND ITS DEVELOPMENT IN GREAT BRITAIN AND AMERICA THIRD EDITION PUBLISHED BY AMERICAN ABERDEEN-ANGUS BREEDERS' ASSOCIATION 817 Exchange Avenue. Chicago, Illinois 1918 ADVANCE A Milestone in Aberdeen-Angus History First International Live Stock Exposition Grand Champion Fat Steer over all Breeds. Bred, Fed and Exhibited by Stanley R. Pierce of Illinois. Sold at $1.50 Per Pound. FOREWORD During the past few seasons a nation-wide interest in Aberdeen- Angus cattle and a consequent increase in the number of breeders and members of the American Aberdeen- Angus Breeders' Associa- tion has created a new demand for information concerning the breed. To meet this call — to place before all 'seeking it information concerning the greatest and oldest beef breed — this short history of its origin and development in Scotland, its transplantation to America and its subsequent career has been prepared. No attempt has been made to present more than the merest outline of the breed's history, but the main facts have been brought down to date. Con- troversies long and bitter have prevailed touching more than one phase of the breed's development. No cognizance has been taken of them, the generally accepted view having been given in every instance. Differences as to men and matters incident to the breed's progress 50 to 100 years ago can have no possible bearing on its position today. The plain, unvarnished truth has been told, with a fair field for all and favor toward none. For an extended and diverse history of the Aberdeen-Angus breed, from which much of the matter in this little work was taken, the Association desires to express its thanks to Mr. R. C. Auld, New York, a nephew of the late Wm. McCombie of Tillyfour. Mr. Auld's close relational and territorial connection with Mr. Mc- Combie and his possession of many of that great breeder's private records and memoranda, fit him eminently to give potent aid in the preparation of such a history. Prom this short history and from the other statistical and descriptive publications of the American Aberdeen- Angus Breeders' Association a complete review of the Aberdeen- Angus breed's his- tory may be obtained from its Caledonian birth-place to the proud pinnacle of fame on which it now rests wherever good beef is grown. Chicago/ May, 1918. CHAS. GRAY SECRETARY THE LINEAGE OF THE BREED Hornless cattle existed in the earliest age to which we can trace the bovine form. In the day when first humanity itself ap- peared — when man was a savage and a hunter, but yet an artist — there existed a finely formed polled race of cattle as depicted on ''the walls of the caverns of these dark-skinned folk — "the oldest of men. ' VCuring that period Britain was continuous with the con- tinent and consequently the polled cattle spread into the nooks and corners of what was then the land's end of Europe. Fossil and serai-fossil remains, found in Scotland, establish the fact of the prehistoric existence of wild polled cattle in those very districts occupied by the known ancestors of the present Aberdeen- Angus p breed. King Kenneth MacAlpine of Scotland when promulgating \. the laws at Scone in Perthshire, specifically mentions "MfecK™^ *homyl" cattle — which is the first historical reference to the breed we have. Memorial stones erected by the native Scots in commemoration of their repulses of invading Norsemen, and now found at Aldbar and Meigle in Forfarshire and Burghead in Morayshire certainly depict "the hornless cattle of the country." Kenneth's laws applied to the region that became the early seat of the Aberdeen-Angus breed, and there is documentary evidence to show that in 1523 the black homyl cattle occurred in Aberdeenshire, but the first specific mention of polled animals of the breed is that of the prize-winning "black humble" exhibited in 1811 from a well-known Aberdeenshire source, the influence of which on the breed is still felt. These con- centrated facts prove that the Aberdeen-Angus is the oldest polled breed — in Britain at least — and accounts for its extraordinary pre- potency in transmitting its color and hornless character. The value of these characteristics in crossing or grading up — in putting the royal stamp of the market-topping supremacy on the progeny of otherwise untrademarked stock — is, in the light of these marshalled facts, as easily explained as it is unchallenged. THE BREED'S BIRTHPLACE Scotland's earliest historians describe the region comprising the Northeast counties as a famous grazing ground for cattle and point out that Buchan was so called because, it paid its tribute to the Roman legionaries in cattle. Church and state encouraged the improvement of the native stock, the Church being responsible for the establishment of the great Scotch fairs or trysts, which were originally gatherings held on days dedicated to the saints. Hence at a very early date they had the Aikey, Paldy and Tarnty Fairs in Aberdeenshire, Kincardineshire and Angusshire, and these fairs, as the evidence proves, were the first places where the breeders dis- * "Homyl," "humble," "humlie," "doddle" and "dodded" are all Scotch equivalents of the words "polled" or "hornless." posed of their surplus stock, which was eagerly snapped up by the English graziers. With the great increase in the demand for beef, as a result of the Queen Ann wars (1664-1714), cattle breeding in Scotland received a great impetus. Englishmen — always great beef eaters — found that their choicest meats came from the Scottish side of the border and it was while this trade was at its height. — in the middle and latter portions of the 18th century — that authentic record was made of the breed's progress in Aberdeenshire and Angusshire, Kincardineshire and Morayshire. In Aberdeenshire we find the breed described as having been "improved" by putting the best males to the best females, rules being laid down for breed- ing both for beef and the dairy, which proves the breed to have been originally what we term a dual-purpOse one. The breeds of Aberdeenshire are fully described and innumer- able descriptions are given of the fine specimens killed in the City of Aberdeen. The butchers or fleshers there had their own guild and were men of a high class. They were closely associated with .the breeders and the dealers — and among these particular mention is, made of the Williamsons of St. John's Wells and Robert Walker of Wester Fintray. Both these were breeders — though the William- sons were also the largest dealers in Scotland, their only rival being, as we are told, Charles McCombie of Tillyfour, father of William McCombie, who thus inherited his love of the native hum- lies — as the breed was called — the word being the same as the homyl of Kenneth's laws, and of Aberdeenshire in 1523. The blood of the Williamson and Walker cattle made a distinct mark in the early showyards of the Highland Society. Robert Walker of Wes- ter Fintray had in fact exhibited "black humble" cattle at the Garioch Show, in Aberdeenshire, in the year of 1811, and Charles McCombie of Tillyfour judged them. The first mention of a " dodded animal" in connection with the Highland Show was of an Aberdeen- shire polled steer,- exhibited in 1823. In the meantime operations had been also without doubt going on in Angusshire, especially in the' eastern part of the county —the Brechin district, the great Fair of which was Tarnty. There the "First Families" of the breed are heard of — the Keillor Jocks and Favorites, the Buchan Black Megs and Panmure — to which sources may be traced the great improvement that then appeared in the breed. It was to the great Tarnty market that Hugh Watson resorted in 1808 to buy six cows and heifers and a bull, which .were derived from farms in this section and Kincardineshire, with which to start his herd at Keillor. Old Grannie, the Prima cow, is be- lieved to have been among the lot, and purchased originally from a Kincardineshire breeder. From here also the first of the Jocks came. Among the other early breeders of this formative period were, besides Fullerton of Ardovieand the others indicated, Mustard of Leuchland, Ruxton of Fannell, Scott of Balwyllo, Dalgairns of Balgavies, Chalmers of Aldbar, Kinnaird (Lord Southesk) and Bowie, Mains of Kelly, the great bull breeder. In Kincardineshire the early breeders of the formative class included Hector of Fernflatt (of "sire of Panmure" fame); Silver of Netherley, of Black Meg, the dam of Panmure fame; Sir Thos. and Alex. Burnett of the Leys; Scott of Easter Tulloch; Mclnroy of The Burn, and Portlethen. Portlethen is the oldest herd today — having had a continuous existence from 1818, which might be ex- tended beyond that, if we take into account the herd of the previous occupier, Mr. Williamson, breeder of the polled Aberdeen bull, Colonel. But 1818 is enough for the purpose. In Aberdeenshire the list includes the Williamsons and the Walkers, unique in these annals; the Earl of Kintore; McCombie of Tillyfour, Pirrie of Collithie, Wilson of Netherton of Clatt, Col. Praser of Castle Praser, whose herd was a famous show herd; Bev. Mr. Brown of Coull, Lamond of Pitmurchie, Conglass of Culsh, Walker of Ardhuncart, whose herd was founded about 1812 by purchases from Wester Pintray; Cooper of Hillbrae, of Earl o'Bu- chan fame; besides the breeders and exhibitors of these prime spec- imens of the breed that appeared at the early Aberdeen shows. In Banff was the herd of Sir John Macpherson Grant, from 'which is descended the present premier herd as it exists today; Brown of Westertown; Walker of Montbletton (with close Pintray affinities) ; Collie of Ardgay ; Skinner of Drumin, and Paterson of Mulben. In Morayshire were Brown of Linkwood and others. Besides these there were breeders in Cromarty and Eosshire, as the annals of the Highland Society's show prove — all breeding ' ' Aberdeens. ' ' At the earliest shows of the Highland Society, before the first regular appearance of animals of the breed — which occurred in 1829 — we have proofs of its prominence. In 1822 there was a general classification of "Black Cattle," which included both polled and horned. At the show of 1823, at the same place, an Aberdeen- shire "dodded" steer is mentioned. In 1824 at Edinburgh, we find Adam Bogue exhibiting an Aberdeenshire steer that took the prize open to all breeds, weighing ' ' 1,225 lbs., sinking the offals, ' ' or 2,145 lbs. live weight. At the 1825 Edinburgh show, an Aber- deenshire steer of enormous size was also exhibited, selling for $225. In 1827, the last of the first series of shows, Mr. Bogue obtained the second prize for a steer bought from, this time, "Mr. McCombie of Tillyfour" at the Falkirk 1826 September Tryst— this being William — not Charles — McCombie. HUGH WATSON OF KEILLOR Hugh Watson, whose father and grandfather, like McCom- bie 's, had been admirers of the native breed, began his herd in 1808, and in that year he proceeded to Tarnty to buy the best six heifers* and a bull he could get. These animals were derived from West Scryne, Kinnaird, and Pannell in Eastern Forfarshire; and, as is also believed, some of them from Buchan — Old Grannie, understood to have come from Kincardineshire, dropping a calf — her first, at Keillor — named Beauty of Buchan. Alex. Bowie, Mains of Kelly, began to breed in 1809 — a year after Mr. Watson; and William Fullerton of Ardovie was contemporaneous with Tilly- four — the latter beginning to breed in 1830, and Fullerton about the same date — it being in 1831 that he bought the Black Meg, which "ranks with the Prima cow" and from whom the "Queen's breed" at Tillyfour was to spring. It is in the herds of these four breeders that we must seek the blood, and study the operations conducted therein, to understand how the breed started on its career. Little is known of Mr. Watson's breeding operations. For instance, it is not generally known that he had a sale in 1818, at which he offered animals of the "improved dodded breed." Hugh Watson made the first great exhibit of the black polls at Perth Show in 1829. With one exception all the animals in the class were from the Keillor herd, and with one exception — a cow purchased by him from Peter Watson, Kirriemuir, "a dealer in Aberdeenshire cattle"- — all were also bred by him. No names are given of the animals. Mr. Watson also showed the only Angus steers exhibited, one pair bred by himself, the other by Mr. John- stone, The Scryne. The admiration for Mr. Watson's bull, cow and oxen was necessarily universal, but "it created surprise that in such a county the shrinking from competition should be so com- plete." Mr. Watson also exhibited at Kelso in 1832; Aberdeen in 1834; Perth, 1836; Dundee, 1843; Inverness, 1846, and lastly at Perth, 1852. AT INVERNESS AND ABERDEEN At Inverness, 1831, a very interesting exhibit appeared. The first prize aged bull was exhibited by Peter Brown, Linkwood, Elgin, who was mentioned by Wight at the end of the previous century as breeding "the best of the country breed." At this show also appeared perhaps the first cross of the Shorthorn and the Aberdeenshire black poll — a bull exhibited by none other than the great Barclay of Ury, Kincardineshire. As Inverness had been, like Perth in 1829, the first territorial opportunity for the breed, the class being for the Aberdeen Polled, to appear before a national public, doing so in a distinctly impress- ive manner, so we find it natural that coming to Aberdeen right in the home of the old breed, a stunning exhibit of Aberdeens should appear.' But there were also Angus, three bulls, two of them from Keillor. This was the first time Keillor met the Aberdeens in the showyard, and the first prize went to the Aberdeenshire polled bull exhibited by Mr. Findlay, Balmain. The first prize for cows at the Aberdeen show was awarded to Lord Kintore; and the second would have gone to him also, had the regulations permitted. Both were bred at Wester Fintray. Strangely, the cow that was given the second prize was exhibited by another "Walker still— Robert of Portlethen. There were 17 competitors in the class. In the heifer class Mr. Hector of Ferny- flatt, the breeder of "the sire of Panmure;" was first. The "great feature of the show was the exhibit of the polled." Here the class was for "Aberdeen and Angus" cattle — the two previous shows having doubtless demonstrated the affinity of the two "breeds." At Aberdeen there were prizes for dairy produce, and Mr. Walker, Wester Fintray, came out strong in the winnings — as noted in the chapter on "Milking Properties." At Perth in 1836, Mr. Watson was again alone, winning in both sections. At Inverness, 1839, Keillor was first in the aged bull class for a bull bred at Balnacreich; and Ferguson of Pitfour, Aberdeenshire, was first in the junior class. Among the cows the Duke of Richmond's took first to Wester Fintray 's second. The Duke exhibited a lot of ten polled cows, three having produced twins. Fine polled Aberdeenshire steers were shown, and high prices obtained for them. At Aberdeen, 1840, there was a great show. A Kincardine- shire poll headed the bulls — his portrait being published in the Farmer's Magazine, where he is described as an "Aberdeenshire Polled Bull." Among the cows, we find Wellhouse exhibiting and Portlethen; but Wester Fintray was too strong for them, being first for cows; Dingwall of Brucklay was second; Duke of Rich- mond third. In the two-year-olds the Duke was first and Walker second. In yearlings, Portlethen was first. The show at Dundee, 1843, saw the clash of battle between the rival camps — all Angus was out in force — Keillor also exhibit- ing Shorthorns; but he had to bow to the irresistible presence of the Panmure and Black Meg host. The blood of these contingents was conspicuous and drove competition before them — competition that had enticed Keillor, Portlethen and even Wester Fintray. Lord Panmure also exhibited oxen. Tillyf our was likewise an exhibitor of oxen. It was soon after this that Panmure, "the Hubback of the Polls," went north to the Wellhouse herd; and Queen and others of her family went to Tillyfour — all from William Fuller- ton's sale. Again at Inverness, 1846, Mr. Watson was first with Old Jock. Note that in 1843 and 1846 appeared Panmure and Old Jock said by the best authorities "To stand in the front rank among the early sires that have most contributed to the improvement of the breed." TILLYFOUR AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE BREED At some point in the record of every improved breed we reach a man who possessed a peculiar genius for committing his impres- sions and an account of his operations to writing. "When we come to deal with Mr. McCombie, we stand- on firm ground," it has been written, and in the private herd records and other per- sonal memoranda of WmV McCombie of Tillyfour a safe historical base is found. The McCombies were an "Aberdeen and Angus" family of ancient derivation and for many years famed as cattle- men. The Tillyfour herd was founded in 1830 with animals accred- ited by Mr. McCombie himself as "Aberdeens," as from St. John's Wells and Wester Fintray, and as "Angus," from Keillor, Balwyllo, Dalgairns and elsewhere. We find here in this assembling of animals of these two dis- tricts, which took place previous to the first territorial Highland Show at Aberdeen, 1834, both "strains" of the breed; in which assembling and matching we also witness the welding of the breeds, to which the designation was given for the first time, on that account, of ' ' Aberdeen and Angus ; " a title that years after its for- tunate consummation was recognized by The Polled Cattle Society, which was constrained to follow the approved mode adopted by the American Aberdeen- Angus Breeders' Association; the modern title remaining that of Tillyfour with the simple replacement of the connecting "and" by a connecting hyphen. At Perth, 1829, the breed was designated Angus; at Inverness, 1831, Aberdeen; at Aberdeen, 1834, Aberdeen and Angus, some specimens being actually from Forfarshire. The actual welding of the breeds, however, took place when specimens of both were mated together knowingly — as at Tillyfour — and at a much earlier date with the Black Megs and other famous specimens that found their way into Eastern Forfarshire. "THREE FOUNTAIN HEADS OF THE BREED" So, now, we may take up the task of briefly pointing out the great families of the breed, that have been so well cultivated. In ' ' The History of the Breed, ' ' we read, referring to Dr. Thomas F. Jamieson's researches into the foundation history of the breed, (quoted from him) : "When I occupied the post of Fordyce Lec- turer at Marischal College, Aberdeen, I devoted some attention to the subject of polled cattle along with other matters, and I found that all the best blood of the Aberdeen and Angus doddies trace back to three fountain-heads, viz: 1st, Mr. Fullerton's Black Meg; 2nd, the bull Panmure, from Brechin Castle, and 3rd, the Keillor Jocks." A well known writer, referring to the former says, "Black Meg, the mother of Queen, ranks with the Prima cow" as a found- ress of the breed. She has also been likened to the "Favorite cow among the Shorthorns." Panmure, also, has been termed "the. Hubback of the Polls." His dam was also called Black Meg — and there used to be some confusion between the two which now does not occur — so familiar have they both become. "Mr. Fullerton's Black Meg," which that breeder secured about 1831, was the foun- dation cow at Ardovie, where she produced Queen of Ardovie, the foundress of the Tillyfour Queens and Prides. A daughter of Queen and granddaughter of Black Meg, viz: Princess (831) was purchased by Mr. Watson of Keillor and was sent to Ireland to . r uphold the standard of Keillor there. She dropped a heifer ealf at Keillor. Her calf, by Adam, was secured by Mr. Ruxton, Fanijell. The other Black Meg— dam of Panmure — caWed 1837, was bought for Lord Panmure in a lot of 8 or 10 heifers from Mr. Silver of Netherley, Kincardineshire — mentioned in the "General View" of that county, and were known to have been bought in Buchan originally, passed from Panmure eventually to The Scryne, whence had come some of Keillor's Tarnty selections. M*r. Fullerton de- scribes these Black Megs as Beautys. Black Meg and Beauty, indeed, seem to have been favorite names for these Buchan cows. The genial Hugh "Watson named the calf of Old Grannie — herself re- membered as one of the Tarnty 's that also came from Kincardine- shire — "Beauty of Buchan" — a very significant designation, remin- iscent most probably of the origin of the calf's dam herself. Mr. Watson also named another heifer by the magic name "Panmure" at Keillor, which shows he had his mind on the sort. Black Meg of Panmure was bought by Mr. Bowie of Boysack, brother of Alexander Bowie, Mains of Kelly, who had his eye upon her, and was able to gain possession of her. In his herd she founded the famous Martha and Mary families. Major, a noted sire at Mains of Kelly, was of the Martha family, siring Gainsborough, the first prize bull at Inverness, 1874, Gainsborough's son, Logie the Laird, being first at Edinburgh, 1877. Thus, we find these two Black Megs' progeny going into the four foundation herds of the breed — Ardovie, Mains of Kelly, Keillor and Tillyfour. In a letter written by "William Fullerton, to the writer, dated in the spring of 1879, he said that he purchased Black Meg (dam of Queen) from Mr. Thos. Fawns, a well known cattle dealer in Brechin (mentioned by Mr. McCombie in "Cattle and Cattle Breeders," as a frequent companion) about the year 18^3. She was calved in 1831 and he wrote enthusiastically about her, naming her over and over again as a "pure Buchan doddie." These Black Megs represented the sort of stock that was reared at St. John's Wells, Wester Fintray and all the other original seats of the breed in Aberdeenshire from which the Tillyfour herd was collected; and also of the kind that appeared at Inverness, 3831, and at Aberdeen, 1844, and other early shows. Mr. Fullerton in the communication referred to, said: "Give me 10 good old-fashioned cows of the old Buchan kind, and let me put an Angus bull, with the best head and neck which can be found, to them, and I'll venture the offspring will all take prizes." Old Jock, who took the first prize at Dundee in 1843, where Panmure stood first proudly in the senior ranks, is the Jock referred to by Dr. Jamieson, the sire of most of Mr. Watson's stock from 1843 to 1852. His dam was Old Favorite. He was the sire of Angus (45») — that aided in the "welding of the breed." He was also the sire of Emily (332,) the foundress of the Ballindalloch Erica family. Old Jock was likewise sire of Emily of Kinochtry, thus founding an extension of the Old Grannie foundation. 10 Thus we are enabled from these sources to specify the several most famous families of the breed. First, in a word, the Tillyfour Queens (Queen Mothers) and Prides — of many branches and ramifications. Second, the Ballindalloch Ericas, through Bisa and Enchan- tress^ which need no words to describe them. ^- '"•'"' They follow the Ballindalloch Jilts and Tillyfour Ruths from Beauty of Tillyfour, bred at Keillor from which she was bought by Mr. McCombie in 1860 for $320. This Beauty was also the foundress of the Easter Skene Miss "Watsons. Then come the Kin- ochtry Princesses, Emilys (mentioned) and Favorites descended from Old Grannie and Favorite. The Kinnaird Fanny family descends from Old Lady Ann (743), calved four years before Old Grannie, and possibly the oldest cow in the Herd Book. Among the Portlethen families the Mayflower represents one of the oldest strains, descending from Old Maggie (681). But the most interesting family of all associ- ated with this, the oldest herd in existence, is the Nightingale (262) family — derived from Mary of Wester Fintray (21). The Montbletton Mayflowers and Lady Idas have a grand reputation. Here the foundation blood traces back also to Wester Fintray. The Mains of Kelly Marthas and Marys — Black Meg families — have been mentioned ; which sort of blood seemed to suit Mr. Bowie, for he got hold of Young Jenny Lind from Tillyfour with which he founded his Jennets. The Drumin Lucy family is one of the old sort. Castle Fraser produced the Blanche tribe from which Geo. Bruce 's first prize cow at the Paris Exposition in 1878 was derived. All the Castle Fraser blood, wherever found, may be set down as of the finest sort. Westertown evolved the Rose family from Blinkbonny (315). Then we have the Mulben Mayflowers; the Rose of Advies, the Ardgay Zaras; the Fyvie Flower family — which should have a touch of the old St. John's Wells influence. The Abbesses and Actresses of Easter Tulloch created at Balquhain from which have sprung some wonderful champions in Britain and America. The Cortachy Ariadnes maintain an interesting tradition. Old Jip (965) founded the Jipsey family at Spott, where Mr. Whyte maintained an old herd. At The Burn, Col. Mclnroy established the Matilda of Airlies that have furnished champions at the Highland and Royal shows. A comparatively modern family, but one which was derived from the best sort of foundation, is the Aboyne family of Saints. The foundress of the family was Sibylla, a finely formed and su- perbly fleshed cow. The family produced champions one after another, at the Highland and the Royal Northern shows. Of the same class are the Waterside Matildas, which showed the value of the Pride top on such good old-fashioned stock as the Indigo, Tar- land herd possessed, Matilda being by Knight of Shire, whose 11 career as a stock bull was of very limited duration, indicating, how- ever, that if he had lived he would have made a record as a sire that would have been unique. Among sires that made their mark in the earlier days of the breed were Old Joek and Angus Young Jock; Panmure, Monarch and Victor, Earl o'Buchan, Hanton, Cupbearer, Druid, Palmerston, Windsor, Fox Maule, President of Westertown, Clansman, Trojan, Justice and Young Viscount, Gainsborough, Duke of Perth, Shah, Prince Albert of Baads , Prince of the Realm , Knight of the Shire, The Black Knight, Black Rod, Cash Epigram, Prince Inca, which have been followed by a host of bulls of the highest merit, showing the steady gain in quality of the breed. THE OTHER GREAT HERDS IN SCOTLAND Among those that followed the foundation herds we may men- tion first the Aboyne Castle herd, of the Marquis of Huntley who has been a constant patron of the breed, was the first president of the Polled Cattle Society, and a noted exhibitor. His lordship, especially in his last herd, showed his good judgment in selecting and breeding the Saints, the foundress he obtained from the Brid- gend herd. We might mention Duff House where we find Lilias of Tillyfour and Young Viscount and other splendid specimens; Easter Tulloch, whence the Witches of Endor of Paris fame were originally derived; the Altyre herd of Sir William Gordon Cum- ming, that produced the Smithfield champions, must always be remembered with gratitude; Pyvie Castle and "Sir Maurice" and the herd of Mr. George Reid, The Baads, especially noteworthy. Castle Fraser we have mentioned; and Montbletton, Westertown and Mulben. Mr Smith's herd at Powrie produced many attrac- tive animals. Rothiemay was long noted and Kate of Glenbarry is a pleasant memory. Guisachan was a splendid herd full of the choicest strains ; Haughton came to the front wonderfully towards the latter part of its existence. The Johnstone herd, Waterside "and Wellhouse, were strong in good blood — the former's Waterside Ma- tildas showing the impress of Knight of the Shire. The great herds at present are headed by the Royal herd at Abergeldie Mains, founded by her Majesty, the late Queen Victoria, who took a great interest in the breed. The herd, indeed, was formed soon after the visit paid by her Majesty to Tillyfour in 1868. It is strong in Prides and Saints, Ericas and Georgians. The herd has won the Family Prize at the Royal Northern and the female championship at the Highland Show of 1896. At its sales of fat beeves at Christmas in Aberdeen and at the. Perth sales, for bulls, high prices rule. The Aldbar herd is a reconstitution of the old herd that existed there from time immemorial. The Auchorachan herd of Col. George Smith Grant was one of the strongest in Ericas and Prides and old-fashioned strains. 12 Record-making prices have been secured at its sales. It has been wonderfully successful in breeding champion showyard animals — we all remember Young Bellona, Clement Stephenson's Smithfield champion of 1887. It certainly has had a spectacular history. It is still continued in the Mains of Advie herd. The herd of Alexander and James Beddie, Banks, Strichen, produced two of Stephenson's Smithfield champions, those of 1885 and 1894 — Bridesmaid of Benton and Benton Bride, respectively. The Collithie herd is still flourishing. The Conglass herd has certainly a record that is hard to beat — in the way of producing the sort of animals that advertises the breed in the best way — those prize steers that attract so much attention at Birmingham and Smithfield. Mr. Stephen supplied Mr. McCombie with the steer that won alongside the ox that captured the Prince Albert Cup at Poissy in 1862 — and he was "heavier than Black Prince" of 1867. The Cortachy herd, of the Airlie family, progresses along the best lines; the former Earl having given the herd his personal atten- tion, he and the late Earl of Southesk finding in each other a con- genial subject that led them to work in harmony. Mr. William Wilson at Coynachie and Drumfergue maintains perhaps the largest herd in Scotland — close to 200 animals. He likes the best families and those that are deep milkers. He bred Queen Mother of Drumfergue 7th which was bought by Col. Judy and imported to this country where she had a noted showyard career and was sold for $3,000. The Cullen House herd of the Countess of Seafield, was noted as another breeding herd that has produced a Birmingham and Smithfield champion, in 1908, from the family styled Her Majesty of Cullen. The Dalmeny herd of the Earl of Eosebery has been a noted producer of Smithfield form — female champions. Its sire, Ebbero, the highest priced bull that has yet been sold by public auction in Scotland, was the sire of Dalmeny Lady Ida 3d, the female cham- pion at Smithfield, 1906. The herd has won the female champion- ship three times at Smithfield and other equally high honors. Mr. Andrew Mackenzie of Balmore has a magnificent herd to which he is devoting his skill, in building up the Lady Ida family, an off- shoot of the Montbletton herd. In Ayrshire Mr. Kennedy of Doonholm has a choice collection of doddies. It has been extraordinarily successful in the showyard and in the export and sale department. At Glamis there is a show herd of the very highest grade. Its prize record is unique in both the breeding and fat stock sections. In 1896 Minx of Glamis was a double champion at Birmingham and Smithfield. In 1898 Ju Ju repeated the same feat. In 1899 and 1900 the herd won the Queen's Challenge Cup outright at Smithfield for the best animal bred by exhibitor. In 1901 there was another repeat at Birmingham and Smithfield — Brunhilde being the name of the champion ; and again in 1902 Layia did it over again, 13 The success of Glamis at these shows is all the more remarkable — coming as the cattle do from Angusshire which had never been much in the fat stock show limelight. It simply shows, that wher- ever the man is, the cattle will be just as ready to respond to that man's master force and touch. The Kinochtry and Pictstonhill herds of W. S. Ferguson, son of the late Thomas Ferguson, are impressive examples of persis- tence in which much reward has been found. The Portlethen seems still to rank as the oldest herd in exist- ence. The very names of the animals one reads in the pedigrees have another century appearance and sound. In many ways the herd epitomizes the history of the breed. It traces beyond, through the herd of Mr. Williamson of Portlethen Mains — another remin- iscence of the name of St. John's Wells — into the same century in which men of the same name were creating the solid foundation for the breed. The herd first appeared at the Highland Society's Show at Aberdeen in 1834, when it won second for cows to another Mr. Walker — of the Fintray family. At the Centenary Show at Edinburgh, 1884, the herd then in possession of its present owner, George J. Walker, was awarded a gold medal for a set of triplets, Asia, Africa and America, daughters of Alexandrina (894). J. G. Walker states that the first bulls he can trace as used in the herd came from Wester Fintray and Fernyflatt — associated with Pan- mure fame — that is, 1826 to. 1836. The first "crack bull" was per- haps Banks of Dee, which was followed by the Andrews and Raglan for which the late Emperor Louis Napoleon offered $1,150, at the Paris Show in 1856; Fox Maule, a rare animal, indeed, and Palm- ertson, a straight descendant of the Wester Fintray herd. The first regular Herd Book of the stock was dated 1840, and one of the first animals sold to go out of the country was a cow, Duchess, that went to America — in 1850. One of the original animals of the herd was Eosie — a "dowry" cow, whose sort had been in the family since 1778, on account of her deep milking qualities, she being the dam of Porty, who made his mark before the days of the shows. Like the Walkers of Wester Fintray, the Portlethen Walkers paid great attention to the milking qualities of the herd — keeping accurate records, as referred to in the chapter on Milking Qualities. A study of the old sorts in Portlethen is as interesting as anything the breeder could indulge in — for the reason of the existence of so many descendants of the herd. To show how the best things agoing in the breed were noted by the breeders keeping their eyes open for the same, take Matilda Fox — dam of the dandy Fox Maule. She was bred by Bowie, Mains of Kelly, and was picked up by Mr. McCombie of Tillyfour; from whom she was bought in 1857 at the Bridgend sale by the late Mr. Walker, to produce "one of the most renowned bulls of the breed, ' ' Fox Maule, winner of the senior honors at Dumfries in 1860. This interesting account of Portlethen may be rounded out by reminding the reader that Luxury, the Smithfield champion, originated in a family long noted in the herd. 14 The Spott herd of William "Whyte is also one of the oldest in existence and noted for its Jipseys, a member of which Ju Ju, exhibited by the Earl of Strathmore, Glamis, was champion at Smithfield, 1898. Jipsey Baron, breed champion at Inverness, 1901, was also of the same family. The herd of Col. Chas. Mclnroy, of The Burn, is another of the herds running into the prehistoric period of the breed — like Portle- then and Aldbar — and its quality is proved by the fact that from it came the Smithfield champions of 1905 and also 1909 — Burn Bellona 35998 and Pan of the Burn 27244. The Wester Fowlis herd of Alexander Strachan promises well to assume a traditionary standing in the great Vale of Alford as the hereditary herd. Wester Fowlis and Bridgend are in the same parish, Leochell-Cushnie, and the late Mr. Strachan and Mr. Mc- Combie had many a deal together. The Wester Fowlis — and other local herds — benefited by the overflow from Tillyf our. Mr. Strachan, the present owner, seems to have been endowed with the instinct of his father — shared in by the younger, Pat Strachan, who is also breeding. The herd produced Coronal, dam of the Scottish cham- pion (Edinburgh Fat Stock), 1896, which was reserve for the cham- pionship at Smithfield the same year. The Ardhuncart herd of the late William Walker appears to have been continued by the son — it dates back to the prehistoric period likewise; while that other herd, that of James Walker, West- side of Brux, has had the distinguished honor of providing material for the Royal herd at Abergeldie. TRIUMPHS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES About the date of the advent of Pride of Aberdeen, and having - well established itself as a national breed, it was felt that a trip abroad would extend its fame, and its first foreign exhibition was at the Paris International Exhibition of 1856, where it was shown in considerable strength. This was the show at which Charlotte and Hanton, shown by Mr. McCombie, made such an impression on the judges that they wrote the following: "The specimens of this breed possess the following character- istic points : Perfect homogeneity of race, beauty, richness and reg- ularity of form, softness of skin, mellowness in handling; the whole united to a muscular system sufficiently developed. They pre- sented besides, a considerable mass of flesh, supported by a com- paratively small volume of bone. We are aware, besides, that the breed joins sobriety to a great aptitude to fatten, and that it sup- plies the butcher's stall with beef of much esteemed quality; that it produces milk in satisfactory quantity, is of sweet temper, and is also endowed with prolific qualities. Dutrone, writing twenty-two years later, after the crowning event of 1878, also referred to this exhibition of polls: "I doubt whether those he brought out at the last International Exhibition 15 in 1878 were of equal merit. I well remember the laudatory and wondering remarks of foreign visitors when passing around the stalls where the stately masses of the polled cattle were drawn up in a black and imposing array, even and level, as if the chisel of the sculptor, had been] plied over their grandly fleshed frames." The last part of the foregoing is what we, of course have pleasure in noting — being that which characterizes the breed upon all "dress occasions. ' ' In the grand march past of the breed the International Fat Stock Show of Poissy, 1857, is likely to be overlooked. Dutrone records the fact that "out of six prizes offered for polled oxen, Mr. William McCombie of Tillyfour obtained four." One of the Tilly- four steers proved to be the heaviest of all breeds, when weighed by order of the Emperor. He was a son of Bloomer, Mr. McCombie 's favorite cow. The International Exposition at Poissy, 1862, created a world- wide sensation, only equaled by that which occurred in 1867 (Black Prince's year) and in 1878. At this Poissy Show Mr. McCombie won the highest honors with the steer that came to be known as the "Poissy Ox" or the "Mammoth Ox." His girth was 9 feet, 8 inches — having "come out" four inches since his last appearance at Birm- ingham and Smithfield, four months previously, where he had gained the first prizes; his length from tail to chine was 5 feet, 6 inches, and from tail to poll 7 feet, 9 inches; his height was 5 feet, 1 inch, and length below knee 9 inches "round." He weighed 1,250 kilos (2,750 lbs.). He was sold to the Emperor's butcher and a photograph taken of him for preservation. Mr. McCombie was also first in the younger class of steers, and first in both classes for females. In 1867, the great Steer, Black Prince, from Tillyfour, carried all before him at the fat stock shows, crowning his career with the . grand championship at Smithfield. That has been honor enough for most breeders, but Mr. McCombie was more fortunate. Black Prince so greatly impressed the late Queen Victoria that she "com- manded" his attendance at Windsor for her personal inspection. Later, after the black polled champion — the first that ever Won the purple rosette at Smithfield — had joined the great majority, Queen Victoria visited Tillyfour, an imperial honor conferred on but mighty few of her loyal subjects in any walk of life. Eleven years later the fame of the Aberdeen-Angus breed was destined to be blazoned across the whole wide world. To the Uni- versal Exposition at Paris, sixteen doddies were dispatched from Scotland, McCombie contributing nine, Sir George Macpherson Grant, of Ballindailoch, six, and George Bruce, of Tochineal, one. The victory of this little band of blacks was thorough and complete. They swept the boards of all the prizes for which they were eligible to compete, winning among other honors, the grand championship for groups of foreign-bred cattle and the supreme championship as the best beef-producing animals on the grounds. This final strug- gle was with the white Charolaise breed of France, the bovine dis- 16 play in black and white having been described as the most pictur- esque ever witnessed. This sweeping triumph set the seal of fame upon the Aberdeen- Angus breed, its conquest of the world's mar- kets dating from that memorable season. IN ENGLAND AND IRELAND In 1875, a herd of Aberdeen-Angus cattle was founded in Sus- sex, in the south of England, and the year following the Langshott and the Duke of Grafton's herds were given being. In 1880, Dr. Clement Stephenson, who was to carry the black and all-black banner far to the front, started the Balliol College herd in the northern borderland. Its great success with the Smithfield cham- pions, Luxury in 1885, Young Bellona in 1887 and Benton Bride in 1894, made this herd's fame national and when Abbess of Turling- ton, daughter of Abbess of Benton, won the supreme championship at the Columbian in Chicago, 1893, international renown was accorded it without stint. J. J. Cridlan's Maisemore Park herd is one of the most noted in the South country and while many more could be mentioned by name the mere statement that around 100 breeders are now recording cattle from south o' Tweed will show how popular the Aberdeen- Angus is in England. Invasion of the Emerald Isle first took place as early as 1864, but owing to the disturbed condition of that country, little progress was made for years. However, within the past two or three decades great strides forward have been made, there being now about as many breeders of Aberdeen-Angus cattle in Ireland as there are in England, with Hum Bland, perhaps, the leading exponent of the cult on the other side of St. George's Channel. THE SCOTCH HERD BOOK : It was after the Aberdeen Highland Society Show in 1840, with the rising wave of interest and enthusiasm which then appeared, that the idea of a herd book was first mooted. Collection of records and data was begun in 1842, deposit being made in the museum of the Highland and Agricultural. Society in Edinburgh. A severe setback was encountered in 1851 when the whole material brought together was destroyed by fire. A fresh start was made in 1857 at the request of some of the leading breeders, and Vol. I appeared in 1862. Vol. II was produced in 1872, and in subsequent years Vols. Ill, IV, and V, all by private enterprise. Then, after the Paris Exposition of 1878, upon the initiative of Sir George Mac- pherson Grant, the Polled Cattle Society was formed, the first gen- eral meeting being held in 1880. Vol. VI was issued by the Society, and in it only nine breeders south of the border had entries. At present there are about 600 members of the Society. Galloways were included in the first four volumes of the Herd Book. 17 The Polled Herd Book was the name originally chosen, which name remained after the exclusion of the Galloways, for the regis- try of cattle of the "Aberdeen and Angus breed," but in 1886, fol- lowing the sensible example of the American Association, the breed became known to the whole world as the Aberdeen-Angus and the British book was rechristened accordingly. The growing importance of the breed in Great Britain is proved by the establishment of the English Aberdeen- Angus Cattle Association in 1899 — the honorary secretary being Mr. Albert Pull- ing, Beddington, Croydon, who has published several interesting books relating to the breed. Again in Ireland, the Irish Aberdeen- Angus Association was formed — the honorary secretary of which is Mr. Wickham H. B. Moorhead, Carnmeen, Newry. ABERDEEN-ANGUS AT SMITHFIELD SHOW LONDON, ENGLAND Dr. Clement Stephenson of Balliol College Farm, Northum- berland, was the first great modern winner with Aberdeen-Angus cattle at Smithfield. But there were victories between that date back to 1867; and there had been Scotch cattle exhibited at Smith- field as early as 1805. The first mention of Scotch cattle in the records of this great show was in that year and Scotch cattle were exhibited in the following years: 1807-1811, 1825-1828, 1830-1832, 1836, 1840-1843, 1846-1851, 1852. From the last named year onward there were more or less regular exhibitions of Scotch cattle; but it was not until 1856 — the year of the first Paris breeding show — that there was a separate class for Scotch polls — which included both Scotch breeds. The total number of prizes awarded up to 1851 for Scotch cattle was 43, for which there was awarded $2,500; all prizes being for steers or oxen. From 1862 to and including 1867 (Black Prince's year), the Scotch won two silver cups — in 1865, a Scotch horned ox, exhibited by the Duke of Sutherland, and in 1867, the Tillyfour poll. In 1866, the silver cup for the best steer or ox was won by a Shorthorn-Scotch Polled (Aberdeen). It has been recorded that one of the Williamsons sold an Aberdeen ox which was exhibited at one of the shows previous to 1828 at least. Then in 1830, Mr. Watson sent his famous heifer and also later another steer. It was not until 1859 that Mr. McCombie exhibited at Smithfield, when he gained in that and the succeeding three years, and in 1864, 1867, 1868, 1870, 1871 and 1873, 1874 and 1875, the cup for the best Scot— besides, of course, the greater victories in 1867 with Black Prince. In 1871, James Bruce, Burnside, Fochabers, won the female championship at Smithfield with an Aberdeen-Angus three-year-old heifer, bred at Mulben. The following year the same exhibitor sent forward the champion in a three-year-old steer bred by John 18 Macpherson, who (on Mr. Paterson's death) had become tenant of the now historic Mulben. In this same year Mr. McCombie had won the championship at Birmingham. These two champions, of a comparatively youthful age, as ages were then considered, were thus the first specimens of the breed to shatter forever the old- time prejudice — that a polled Scot, or Aberdeen-Angus rather, could not mature early. Aberdeen- Angus cattle were "unwelcome intruders" in Eng- land and for awhile they only had an occasional nibble at the big things at the fat stock shows. Then the crowning victory of this, the second Golden Age, occurred in 1861, when Sir William Gordon Cumming, of Altyre, with a pair of polls little more than two years and a half old, carried off both the male and female championships ■ — the heifer at last being awarded the highest honors and the steer standing reserve to her. Again in 1887, Altyre exhibited the cham- pion steer. In 1901 and 1903 the best steers were shown by J. J. Cridlan, Maisemore Park, Gloucester. Females have rendered great service to the breed at the fat stock shows. Just recalling the champion of 1871 and 1881, we find the female championships won as follows: 1884, by John Stra- chan, Montcoffer, Banff; 1885, Clement Stephenson (also grand championship) ; 1887, by the same, and again in 1889 and 1894 the same — the winner in the latter year being grand champion both at Birmingham and London. In 1893, the winner was J. Douglas Fletcher, Rosshire. Then in 1896, 1898, 1901 and 1902, Lord Strath- more, Glamis, won the female championship, each one of these be- ing also the grand champion. In 1897, Lord Rosebery won with a heifer bred in the Vale of Alford, and again in .1906 and 1907 re- peated the trick with Dalmeny home-breds. In 1905, Col. Mclnroy won with Burn Bellona, which was also grand champion, and in 1913, the Duke of Portland scored supreme victory with Beauty of Welbeck. ABOUT THE CROSSES In the Prime Scots, of course, we include Aberdeen-Angus crosses, either way. Speaking of these, Mr. Robert Bruce, well known in the leading live stock circles of both countries, said: "The Aberdeen- Angus-Shorthorn cross is highly valued by north- ern breeders, and the larger numbers of farmers in England and Ireland, who have resorted to this cross proves pretty conclusively the general appreciation of the many good qualifications belonging to the blend. "Where ordinary judgment is exercised in the selec- tion of sires and dams, the excellence of the produce is at once assured, as the blending of the Shorthorn and Aberdeen- Angus blood results in a quick feeding and rent-paying one. A glance at the records of the. great fat stock shows at once indicates the im- portant position taken by these Shorthorn-Aberdeen-Angus crosses in the annual prize award lists. There has been a widespread demand for Aberdeen-Angus bulls for crossing purposes all over 19 the north of Scotland, and this system of crossing has also made its way into other portions of the kingdom. In my opinion it is immaterial how the cross is brought in, whether through the Short- horn sire and the polled cow, or the polled bull and the Shorthorn cow. Circumstances and situation may alone be left to guide the breeder in the selection of the sire to use." JUSTICE (1462) AT i YEARS OLD Winner of 1st Prize at Highland Society's Shows at Perth 1879 and 1st at Stirling 1881. Bred by Sir George Macpherson Grant, Bart, of Ballindalloeh. Imported to head the Heatherton herd of John S. Goodwin of Illinois. 20 THE BREED IN AMERICA Though perhaps the first Aberdeen-Angus animal that ever trod American soil was the cow Duchess which went from Portle- then in 1850, it was not until 1873 that stock was imported for the express purpose of improving the range cattle. In that year the late George Grant of Victoria, Kansas, imported three bulls, two of which he exhibited at the Kansas City Fair — the first polls that ever appeared in an American showyard. These bulls, which created much interest, were the forerunners of the great influx which occurred a few years later as a result of the world-wide re- nown the breed had acquired by winning the two champion group prizes in Paris in 1878. These bulls were used upon the common stock of the range, horned and coarse, and they changed the "complexion" and appear- ance of the old stock. Many half-breed steers from these Aberdeen- Angus bulls were fed by a number of feeders and gave them a foretaste of the quality that lay beneath the black skins. In 1876 James MacDonald, the late secretary of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, visited the ranch and reported them as doing splendidly. In 1876 there were probably more than 800 black polled calves after them, declared to have been superior to any ever seen in those parts before. They were short-legged, big around the girth; vigorous, healthy and thoroughly at home; they proved themselves sviperior in every way to the Shorthorn arid other crosses; standing the winters better, coming out in remark- able condition, without the necessity of artificial food or coddling, as the other breeds required. It is a pity Mr. Grant did not live to reap the benefit of his foresight, which would have been his in good measure. Yet his work followed after him. In 1883, there were sold in the Stock Yards at Kansas City, fourteen half-breed Aberdeen- Angus steers, the produce of the Grant bulls. They were bought by Charles Still, at $4.25, averaging 1038 lbs. in weight. Four months and six days later, they were sold at the same yards for $5.45, when they averaged 1280 lbs. in weight, and then they were not "full-fed." The inquiry from America had just begun after the Paris Exposition. Perhaps the first to seriously inquire into the oppor- tunities for importing the breed into the United States, was Mr. Libbey, then editor of the "Rural New Yorker," who visited Scot- land one summer and made an investigation of the breed. Then John "Wallace, publisher of the American Trotting Register and "Wallace's Monthly," wrote to Tillyfour about them, having be- come interested with his friend, Mr. Redfield, Batavia, New York — one of the first importers. But it was not until after the dispersion sale of the Tillyfour herd that the rush — the boom — began. What might be termed the parent herd of America was that formed by Anderson & Findlay, Lake Forest, 111. Mr. Findlay was indeed a native of Buchan and had retained all the affection for the native "humlies" that everyone acquainted with them in youth un- 21 doubtedly is bound to preserve. It was during the summer of the memorable year 1878, that Anderson & Findlay commissioned Mr. Findlay of Peterhead, Scotland, brother of the latter, to purchase five heifers and a bull from the best herds; which commission was followed by others. Anderson & Findlay exhibited their importa- tions at the Illinois and other fairs. Among the animals in their first importation was a bull from the old Westside of Brux herd, descending from Keillor blood. In the next importation visits were made to Mains of Kelley, Well- house, Bridgend, Barnside and other herds; resulting in the secur- ing of specimens of the Jennets — derived from old Young Jenny Lind, a Tillyf our foundress ; Lady Jean, a good old Kothiemay sort; Montbletton Charlotte, Westertown Victoria and other fam- ilies. Waterside King 2d of the old Fanny of Kinnaird tribe, and Basuto, a Blackbird-Erica bull, headed the new herd. Again, in 1882, Scotland was revisited, and the herd of Burleigh & Bodwill, that had been formed at Vassalboro, Me., was purchased, in which were Ericas and specimens of Drumin, Mains of Advie and other tribes. The verdict of the owners of the herd which was the fore- most in the country for years was that "for plains and beef cattle, early maturity, weight, quality of beef and hardiness they cannot be surpassed." In 1881 the herd was conspicuous at St. Louis, in 1882 had the championship for the best cow at Kansas City, and it also spread the fame of the breed at many other fairs. From this foun- tain-head many American herds were supplied — notably those of the late T. W. Harvey, Turlington, Neb., and J. V. Farwell, Chi- cago, who was interested in land development in the Panhandle of Texas. The influence of the Lake Forest herd was spread wide athwart the country. On the X. I. T. Ranch, which was the scene of the great drama played by the Lake Forest sires, experience fully demonstrated the value of the breed as range transformers — just as the Victoria bulls had done in Kansas. On the other hand, the Turlington herd, going into the fight of the breeds at the fairs and fat stock shows, did more perhaps than any other to break down the barriers and make easier the path of the feeder and ex- hibitor who came after Mr. Harvey's death. In the same year F. B. Redfield, Batavia, New York, estab- lished his herd; his purchases were made at Kinochtry, being three heifers and a bull — all by Shah — senior male champion at Dumfries, 1878. The females were of families deep in Keillor blood. Two years later sixteen animals from the same herd were imported — nine bulls and seven females, mostly of the same blood. This herd made an enviable reputation in the great showyards and the bulls carried the stamp of the market-topper to the ranches where they were introduced. Mr. Redfield 's estimation of them is summed up in a word — "they have constitutions of iron." In 1881, J. J. Rodgers, Abingdon, 111., founded a herd by selec- tions from Kinochtry — of Favorites, Baronesses, Princesses and other families, six of them being by Prince of the Realm, Shah's son. In the same year, Messrs. Gudgell and Simpson formed their herd, Col. Simpson visiting Scotland and personally selecting the foundation stock. His selections were made from Waterside, where he got Blackcap (4042) bred at Ballindalloch — an Erica- Mayflower, Eosa Bonheur 2d (3531) bred at Tillyfour, and others of Drumin, Greystone, Old Morlich, Mains of Advie and other noted tribes. The bull selected to head the herd was Knight of St. Patrick, from Bridgend, which had a very creditable career in this country, siring some of the most noted animals that appeared at the early shows. In 1887 this herd was sold to the Fairmount Cattle Company, Stratton, Neb., and it also made an excellent record in the ring. In 1882 A. B. Matthews, who had already secured some ani- mals from Canada and elsewhere, visited the home of the breed and made an excellent selection from Haughton, Greystone, Water- side, Kinochtry, Easter Tulloch, Gavenwood, Baads, Balquhain and Blairshinnoeh. His herd, when he had it all assembled, numbered 170 head. Mr. Matthews was a prominent figure in breed circles and at the showyards and sales rings for a number of years succeeding his entry into the ranks of the importers. He wrote early in his experience: "The prospect for the breed is beyond anything that I have ever known for any class of cattle. ' ' Another great exponent of the breed of this era was George W. Henry, also of Kansas City, whose visit to Scotland ' is still remembered with pleasure. He visited Bridgend and secured Dandy 2d (3266), Empress (Queen Mother family) and other old-fash- ioned sorts. Greystone, the old herd of James Reid, so well known to all breeders, supplied Bella 2d, which was later sold by Mr. Henry for $1,000. Other selections were also made from Wester Fowlis, Blairshinnoeh, Wellhouse and elsewhere. The bulls in- cluded Black Commodore from Montbletton — a Ballindalloch Co- quette. Mr. Henry 's appearance, in the fat stock show arena is men- tioned in a succeeding chapter. This year, 1882, also saw the founding of the herd of Estill & Elliott, Woodlands, Mo., which had a marked effect in forward- ing the fortunes of the breed. Among their purchases were Effie of Aberlour, at the price of $2,400; Carrie of Montbletton, May of Achlochrach and Harriet of Balfluig, from which were bred the state fair winners of the herd, which was dispersed in 1900, when 58 females averaged $583, and 14 bulls $561. Lucia Estill brought $2,800 from W. A. McHenry, then a new star in the horizon. Pur- chasers from eleven states took home animals from this noted herd that had stood in the front of the battle line for the breed. A special place in the history of the breed will always be reserved for George Geary, who, with his brother, started his career as a breeder and importer in 1882, purchasing nineteen head from Gavenwood of the strongest families maintained there. Repre- 23 sentatives of Ballindalloch, Baliol College Farm, Kinoehtry, Easter Tulloch, Westertown, Montbletton, Rothiemay, Drumin and Queen Mother families were chosen. In 1886 they startled the breeders by the purchase of the entire Gavenwood and' Rothiemay herds numbering fifty-eight and thirty-four heads respectively. The story of Geary's Black Prince of 1883 is given in the next chapter. The great year 1883, also saw the advent of the Heatherton herd of John S. and W. R. Goodwin, now located at Naperville, 111. This herd is famed as the home of the Blackbirds and the early world-beaters, Judge and Justice. This year (1883) was per- haps the banner year as far as importations went, for it was esti- mated that in it 800 animals were imported from the old country to join those in America and form new centers of the breed. The late Campbell Macpherson Grant, brother of Sir George, sent over alto- gether 230 head, commissions for various breeders,' and that was perhaps the largest number ever sent over by one man in one season. In this year, Leonard Brothers, Mount Leonard, Mo., founded their herd — from purchases made for them by that commissioner. Two years later Mr. Leonard was exemplifying the merits of the breed as the market-toppers, having sent a lot of sixteen steers to Chicago, weighing an average of 1,593 pounds, and selling for a record price. THE TURLINGTON. HERD As time goes on the Turlington herd stands out more and more prominently in the perspective of the past. T. W. Harvey, its owner, lavished his resources on the breed — not in a wasteful, but in a thoroughly constructive manner. He determined to have the best — that the Aberdeen-Angus should come into its own. And but for him, the hey-day of the breed might have been longer in dawning than it was. He was fortunate in enlisting the services of William "Watson, son of the late Hugh Watson, of Keillor — and if there was ever anyone who would have gone through fire for the breed it was "Uncle Willie," as he was affectionately called. His assuring "Yes! Yes!" still rings and vibrates in the minds and hearts of those who have grasped his hand and listened to his elo- quence. William Watson must have lived in an earthly paradise among the Turlington doddies — where he could give them all his love for them demanded. The Turlington herd was sumptuous — superb. It contained thirteen Heatherblooms, six of the Bride family, seven Jean of Easter Tullochs, three Nightingales from Waterside, one Kinnaird Fanny, four Alexandra of Montblettons, three Queen Mothers, two Matilda of Watersides, three of the famous Abbesses, six Beauty of Glamis, five Victoria of Westertowns and Balwyllos, four Water- side Minnies, three Keillor Favorites and Princesses, two of the Progress family, three Easter Tulloch Margarets, six of the Carna- tion tribe of Corskie and South Ythsie, two Hecubas, two Duchess 24 of Shempstones, one Evelyn of Fintray and four of other sorts. The sires at the head of the herd were Guido, a Kinochtry Favorite by Young Captain (4238), dam Beauty of Brueehill (742) ; Black Knight, bred by Gudgell & Simpson, sire Knight of St. Patrick, dam Blackcap (1442) ; Burymedon, an Erica by the famous Balliol Col- lege Farm Souter Johnny; and Errant Knight, another Erica, by Sea King (1450), dam Errantine (4642). The breeding herd carried off the grand championship at Nebraska State Fair in 1884, when headed by Guido and "Waterside Minnie. Thus Turlington was the home of the Heatherblooms and of Abbess of Turlington, with which McHenry carried away the cham- pion honors over all beef breeds at the Columbian Exposition in 1893. A purchase by Mr. Harvey from Bradley Hall, Antelope, be- came also the dam of the first International grand champion steer, Advance, exhibited by Stanley B. Pierce in 1900. The victories of the herd in the fat stock shows are recounted in the section dealing with "The Breed in the Arena." In 1883 also, J. J. Hill, the great railroad magnate who tried to benefit the farmers in the Northwest by spreading good Aber- deen-Angus bulls in that territory, obtained from Clement Stephen- son, Balliol College Farm, seven young bulls of such quality as Plum Pudding and Patrician of the Mulben branch of the Pride of Aberdeens; the twins, First Flight and First Foot, of the Boghead Flora family; Busar of the Rothiemay Heather Bells; Spice Box of the old Bognie Southesks, and Advocate of the famous Abbess fam- ily, specimens of the latter of which had been previously sent to Turlington. Mr. Hill was an extensive importer and successful exhibitor at the great fat stock shows for many years. IN CANADA In 1876, Professor Brown, an Aberdonian, who occupied at that time the position of director of the Ontario Experimental Farm at Guelph, imported the bull Gladiolus and the heifers Eyebright and Leochel Lass 4th. These formed the nucleus of the breed in Canada, achieving a reputation not only as beef cattle, but as pro- ducers of milk rich in butter fat. Hon. M. H. Cochrane founded one of the most valuable herds in this hemisphere by purchases first made in 1881, from Glamis, obtaining Beauty of Glamis (3515), an Erica-topped specimen of that family. He also secured the finest specimens from Powrie, "Waterside, Corskie, Easter Skene, Guisachan, Altyre and other herds. Blackbird of Corskie 2d (3024), the first-prize cow at Perth, 1879, by John Bright, representing the Montbletton May- flower family, was one of the cracks of the herd. Mabel 6th (4295), a Pride, was got from Methlik; Vine 2d from the Earl of Southesk and Pride of Aberdeen 20th from Bridgend. Most of the Scotch herds were drawn on, twenty-five bulls being selected at one time for the Cochrane Ranch Company, in the Northwest Territory. 25 Mossom Boyd, Bobcaygeon, Ont., established a herd in 1881, founded upon old family material. The herd made a marked im- pression in Ontario and was one of the best ever put together. During its existence it had a splendid record at the Provincial and other shows. Hon. J. H. Pope, Dominion Minister of Agriculture, also formed a herd in 1881, the number purchased being fifteen heifers and a bull. Included in the selection were Charmers (Queen Mothers), Zaras, Castle Fraser Minas, Ballindalloch Lady Fannys and other specimens of the Queen Mother tribe. The Model Farm herd of George Whitfield, Rougemont, Que- bec, was selected by John Grant, Bogs of Advie, among the lot be- ing Judge, the Ballindalloch exhibit at Paris in 1878, that later went to the Heatherton herd already mentioned. This selection was followed by a second, consisting of still higher-bred specimens, in- cluding Ericas, Queen Mothers, Jilts, Montbletton Mayflowers, Rothiemay Georginas, Drumin Lucys and Westertown Roses. BECOME THE PERPETUAL CHAMPIONS IN THE AMERICAN ARENA The late George Geary was the first to realize that the breeders would have to do something in the fat stock show ring. He was able to secure the steer Black Prince, bred in Aberdeenshire, which had stood second at Smithfield in 1882, when shown by Mr. Low- thian Bell, Yorkshire. He was shipped from Liverpool, the next year, when he weighed over 2,500 lbs. When he reached Kansas City after a fearfully rushed journey — which had to be made by "express" at a cost of $400 to be in time for the show, he dropped to 2,360 lbs. After such a fearful strain he was not shown in yery fit trim, and did not realize the hopes of Mr. Geary and was com- paratively overlooked. But at Chicago he gave the breeders a foretaste of the quality of the breed by winning the championship prize given by the butchers — always the friends of the Aberdeen- Angus — as the best three-year-old, beating in this notable contest the steer that had been placed over him at Kansas City, as well as the steer that was later awarded the open grand championship at the same show. Next year, 1884, he appeared again; and when slaughtered his carcass dressed 71.3 per cent net to gross. G. W. Henry, Kansas City, one of the pioneer importers, as we have seen, was also a demonstrator of the breed at the Kansas City Fat Stock Show. In 1884, he exhibited an animal that made a great impression on the breeders — Bride 3d of Blairshinnoch, which easily won the prize as the best cow of any breed, and when slaugh- tered won the first prize in the dressed carcass competition. Alive, she weighed 1,395 pounds; her carcass, 881 pounds, being 65.15 per cent of dead to live weight. She got no pampering, indeed being taken from the pasture, where she received all the feeding she 26 got — and that was little. At the same show, an Aberdeen- Angus- Hereford grade, winner of the gold medal for the best beef animal bred by the exhibitor, weighed 1,615 pounds, being 665 days old, showing the satisfactory daily gain of 2.43 pounds. At the same show, Kansas City, 1884, the Indiana Blooded Stock Co. won gold medal for the best beef animal bred and fed by the exhibitor, with the heifer Burleigh's Pride, an Aberdeen- Angus-Hereford cross, whose weight for 665 days was 1,613 pounds, a daily gain of 2.43. The same exhibitors' yearlings were first and second for early maturity in a class of ten of the different breeds. The American Aberdeen- Angus Breeders' Association also showed a two-year-old, which, second in its class on foot, was first in its class for early maturity. Benholm, exhibited by J. J. Hill, the railroad magnate of the Northwest, at the great 1885 Chicago Show, is another landmark. He was then two years old and dressed out 71.4, which rather opened the eyes of the breeders. Again at Kansas, 1886, appeared Sandy by Knight of St. Pat- rick, "which had a wonderful career," shown by Messrs. Gudgell & Simpson. He weighed 1,470 pounds at 393 days old, showing a gain of 2.47 pounds per day. He won first prize as a yearling at the American Fat Stock Show at Chicago, 1885; next year, the Breeder's Gazette's gold shield for the best in the show bred and fed by the exhibitor, and the championship of the entire show over all breeds, grades and ages. At that time he showed an average daily gain of 1.97 pounds. In 1887, at Chicago, when he headed the sensational Turlington herd, that won the grand championship, he weighed 2,225 pounds at 1,322 days old, which gave a rate of 1.68 pounds gain per day. THE TURLINGTON'S TURN In 1887, we come to Turlington's year, when T. W. Harvey, that great king of doddie men, made such a fight for the breed that has never been forgotten. He, aided by ' ' Uncle Willie ' ' Watson, brought the doddies forth in grand style, bearing the black standard aloft in- the thickest of the fray and carrying' terror into the ranks of the breeders in the contending camps. Then it was that "The Black Watch" was on guard — and it was well they were. But, notwith- standing all their vigilance, this year went down into history as the "should have been Aberdeen- Angus year." Yet one glorious victory was won— that of the grand champion herd. Mr. Harvey, had been victorious all along the line at Kansas City, winning the championship there over all breeds with Black Prince of Turlington, and also the herd championship with Black Prince, Tarn o'Shanter and Alexander Knight, and many other prizes. Coming to Chicago there was a harder task laid out for his "intruders," but though the fortunes of war went against him in 27 the single steer championship, he nevertheless swept the field when it came to the herd championship, which proved one of the most sensational witnessed on American soil. His crack herd consisted of Sandy, son of the Pride Knight of St. Patrick, Black Prince by Guido, Tarn o'Shanter, son of Black Knight (a son of "St. Pat") and Alexander Knight, by Black Knight also. It was a phenomenal exhibit, but the judges split and John C. Imboden, Decatur, 111., was called in as referee. He ordered the contesting herds to draw up in a row, red and black alternately, and placed the blacks first. It was a daring award at the time, but after it was made the doddies were established in the front rank. Mr. Harvey's winnings at Kansas City had been $2,045; at Chicago $6,185— which figures show the magnitude of his victory. And the doddie men were listening also to the news from across the sea — from Birmingham and Smithfield — Young Bellona was the double champion, and to her at Smithfield another Aberdeen- Angus stood reserve. In this memorable year of 1887, also came out the wonderful white-legged steer Dot, shown by Wallace, Estill, who sold him to Mr. Imboden, and that Illinois feeder won the grand championship with him the following year. Dot weighed 1,515 pounds when 863 days old — equal to a daily gain of 1.75 pound. He dressed 1,040 pounds — equal to 69 per cent of his live weight. In the practical exhibitions, dressed to live weight, percentage of daily gain and carcass tests, the Aberdeen-Angus also this year proved themselves true to their title as prime Scots and the pre- mier beef breed. AMERICAN BREEDERS ORGANIZE The American Aberdeen- Angus Breeders' Association was in- corporated in 1883, under the laws of the State of Illinois — just ten years after the first importation by Mr. George Grant, Victoria, Kansas. The petition for the charter of the Association was signed by William T. Holt, Charles Gudgell, H. W. Elliott and A. B. Mat- thews. The directors for the first year were: W. T. Holt, Denver; Col. John Geary, London, Orit., Canada; H. C. Burleigh, Vassalboro, Me., Charles Gudgell, Independence, Mo., Stephen Peary, Trenton, Mo. ; Wallace Estill, Estill, Mo. ; A. M. Fletcher, Indianapolis, Ind., and Abner Graves, Dow City, Iowa. W. T. Holt was elected first president, Mr. Burleigh, first vice-president, and Charles Gudgell, secretary and treasurer. In 1888, Mr. Gudgell was succeeded in the secretaryship by Thomas McParlane, Iowa City, la., and two years later the offices of the association were removed from Iowa City to Harvey, 111., a manufacturing suburb of Chicago, founded by T. W. Harvey, the laird of Turlington. In 1902, the headquar- ters of the Association were located in the Pedigree Record Build- ing, Union Stock Yards, Chicago, the most natural place for it. In 1907, Mr. Chas. Gray became secretary. " 28 Following W. T. Holt, the presidents have been: H. C. Bur- leigh, Vassalboro, Me., A. M. Fletcher, Indianapolis, Ind., George Geary, London, Ont., T. W. Harvey, Chicago; W. A. MeHenry, Denison, Iowa; H. W. Elliott, Estill, Mo., E. S. Burwell, Madison, Wis.; M. D. Evans, Emerson, Iowa; 0. E. Bradfute, Cedarville, Ohio; L. McWhorter, Aledo, 111.; W. F. Dickenson, Redwood Falls, Minn., L. H. Kerrick, Bloomington, 111.; E. T. Davis, Iowa City, Iowa; J. S. Goodwin, Chicago; George Stevenson, Jr., Waterville, Kan.; W. J. Miller, Newton, Iowa; M. A. Judy, "West Lebanon, Ind., C. E. Marvin, Paynes Depot, Ky. ; A. C. Binnie, Alta, Iowa; Stanley R. Pierce, Creston, 111. ; H. J. Hess, Waterloo, Iowa ; John D. Evans, Sugar Grove ; 111.; E. F. Caldwell, Burlington Junction, Mo.; H. M. Brown, Hillsboro, Ohio; Chas. Escher, Jr., Botna, Iowa; and J. Garrett Tolan, Farmingdale, 111. In 1888, membership, which had been originally fixed at 200, was made unlimited, and the number at present is over 4,500. In the various volumes issued by the Association there have been entered a total of 266,000 animals, each volume now receiving successive accretions of about 18,000. In 1890, $3,000 was set aside for the World's Fair Fund, 1893. The membership fee was raised from $10 to 20. THE BREED IN THE DUAL PURPOSE FIELD The record of the breed as a beef champion has become so thor- oughly established that it might be supposed it has made no pre- tensions to milking honors. Nevertheless, the Aberdeen-Angus breed produced the champion at the great show of the British Dairy- Farmers' Association, held in London, 1892. The victory was certainly a great feather in the cap of the breed and the Aberdeen "Free Press," in reporting the event, said: "To those who know the history of the breed, the position taken by J. F. Spencer's six-year-old polled cow, Black Bess, will hardly occasion surprise. The victory will probably stimulate breeders to give more attention to the milking qualities of their cattle." This would indicate that good milkers were common enough then to occasion no great remark. The number of points on which this victory was won, was the highest ever scored at that show and the cow was described as a quite first-rate specimen for the purpose of town milk-sellers — "the special clients of the British Dairy Farmers' Association." This cow was not a singular instance, by any means; there are many like her being bred today. What is inherent in a breed can by training be discovered and developed, and that heavy milking quality is inherent in the Aberdeen-Angus breed is very easily proved. From the Scottish Farmer's Magazine we were able to glean the following records of the oldest herd now in existence, that of Robert Walker of Portlethen, referring to the year 1845 : Cow No. 1, 7 years old, had twin calves three times, and has been but once dry since she calved in 1839, 3,024 pints, Scotch, or about 29 7,500 lbs.; No. 2, 8 years old, 2,931 pints (7,236 lbs.); No. 3, 7 years old, 2,388 pints (6,000 lbs.), twice had twins; No. 4, 7 years old, 2,020 pints (5,000 lbs.), has had seven calves. Another, 11 years old, gave 1,830 pints (4,575 lbs.). The last was a prize cow at the national shows, as likely were some of the others, for Robert Walker was a highly successful exhibitor in the regular classes of the breed at the national shows, and these records justify the idea of the breed being a dual-purpose kind. Sixteen to eighteen and even twenty Scotch pints (40 to 50 lbs.) were not uncommon daily records noted among the progeni- tresses of the leading tribes, and they were "steady milkers" all the year round. In later years Mr. Fullerton, having to stock his farm with other cattle than the native polled, on account of having suffered losses on three occasions from rinderpest and pleuro-pneu- monia, was wont to dilate upon the milking qualities of the early polls and ' ' their ready tendency to fatten and also milk well. ' ' Old Lady Ann (743) of the old Kinnaird Castle herd, believed by Chas. Carnegie to have been the oldest cow entered in the Scotch herd book, had a host of descendants, all excellent milkers, having the especial faculty of continuing to give a large quantity of milk till close on the time of calving, and, if allowed, would continue to milk on until they did calve. From those who observed, the milking propensity of Old Lady Ann and her descendants, it was believed that many of them gave more milk than- any of the Ayrshires, from one year's end to another; though possibly not so much im- mediately after calving. Lady Carnegie used to recount the tradi- tions of the milking qualities of the old Kinnaird polls — they were hereditary milkers. Emily, the dam of Erica, was a most valuable dairy cow, like Black Meg. Mary Ann of Rannieston, that sold for the highest price at the Bridgend sale in 1857, was described as " a very deep milker;" Young Kate, bred by Alexander Bowie, was described as "the best milker" in the Mains of Kelly herd. Rosalie of Bogarrow (27198) gave 45 lbs. a day for a month after calving. George Dickenson, one of the first to establish a herd of Aberdeen- Angus in England, has put it on record that certain strains of the breed gave fully the average quantity of milk given by any breed, the quality being second only to that of the Jersey. But many assert that the quality surpasses even that of the famed island breed. "William Robertson, Aberlour, Maine, always gave much atten- tion to the milking properties of his herd; and his experience was that, ' ' by very little extra trouble, it was possible, without sacri- ficing the merits of the breed in the matter of beef production to rear animals that would yield a copius supply of milk of choice quality. ' ' Lord Airlie, one of the substantial patrons of the breed, paid particular attention to the dairy qualities of his favorites. From 35 to 40 lbs. was a common daily record in his herd. His cow, Bell of Airlie, used to milk all the year round. The Drummuir 30 herd was also a striking example of how well the polls responded to the pail test. Nothing was kept for breeding which did not show promise in this direction, and the herd, developed along such lines, simply proved the early claims made for the breed. The Castle Craig herd, too, was founded by Sir Thomas D. Gibson-Carmichael upon milking lines, all the original selections being made for 'the general utility, especially as milk producers. The foundress of one of the best strains in the herd was Beauty of Tillyfour, which produced a tribe of noted milkers, as well as regular and true breeders, with robustness of constitution. The practical value of the Aberdeen- Angus milking propensity has, however, long been familiar to discerning American breeders. J. H. Moore, Cook County, 111., maintained a herd of pedigreed and grade Aberdeen- Angus cows as a working, money-making dairy. His experience led him to the conclusion that well selected grade Aberdeen-Angus cows are valuable for dairy purposes just as much as they are for beef, and that the quality of their milk and the continuance of the period during which they may be relied upon to yield a supply are both much in their favor. The Oatman Con- densed Milk Company, to whom Mr. Moore consigned the milk, reported a test made at their factory of Mr. Moore's registered and high-grade Aberdeen-Angus cows. The samples tested on Novem- ber 22 averaged 5.85 per cent butter fat, and those tested a week later averaged 5.32 per cent. The test made from the milk of the entire herd of grade Aberdeen-Angus cows averaged from 5 to 4.50 per cent butter fat for the entire season, which was one of the highest, if not the highest, test of milk from any dairy coming to the factory. Prof. Brown of the Ontario College of Agriculture, made extensive tests in regard to the specific gravity of milk from dif- ferent breeds and found that the Aberdeen-Angus breed recorded 111.0; the Hereford grade, 106.0; Shorthorn grade and the Ayr- shire, 103.0 ; Hereford, 91.0 ; Shorthorn, 86.0. When the records for yield of butter from milk by weight were secured they showed that the Aberdeen-Angus also stood first with 3.72 per cent, followed by the Hereford grades, 2.54 per cent. Shorthorn grades, 2.31 per cent, and Herefords, 2.01 per cent. In a series of tests made in the county of Banff, Scotland, in which the best stocks of the county were represented, Mr. Findlay of Aberlour supplied cream from the cows of his herd which pro- duced from seven quarts a return of nine pounds of butter; while the Countess of Seafield's herd supplied eight quarts of cream pro- diicing ten pounds of butter. A very striking demonstration of the milking qualities of the breed is supplied by the determination of John Moir, in far away Australia, to maintain the reputation of the breed as to milking qualities, against all disparagement. Mr. Moir issued a challenge to the breeders of all cattle in South Australia, and as a result of the test the Aberdeen-Angus cattle came out easily victorious, Mr. 31 Moir showing two cows both over twelve years old, that were giving twenty quarts a day, and had been doing so for three months after calving. He also cited the case of a herd of polls in the coldest district of Victoria that milked satisfactorily through the exception- ally severe winter, while the other breeds were dying off by the score of exposure and starvation. These are only several instances mentioned by Mr. Moir, who thus scored for the breed a decisive triumph on that continent. The result was gratifying ; though owing to the scarcity of heifers of the breed, the cattle men went ahead raising calves from Ayrshire cows and polled sires ; and so there arose a keen demand for Aberdeen- Angus cattle both for beef and for dairy purposes. The leading Sydney milk purveyor, F. A. MacKenzie of Waverly, mentioned a cow, Emily, a pollcross, winner of the champion- ship at the Sydney Royal in 1901, which had for the prior three seasons been giving close to 60 lbs. of milk a day for almost three months after calving. His champion cow of the year following at Sydney, also a black polled cross, gave at the show tests 134.14 lbs. of milk and 6.95 lbs. of butter in three days. ' ' The quality, texture and flavor of the butter were of the very best, and freely commented on as such." Many other facts of the same kind come to us from Australia, Mr. Moir supplying examples that are convincing. He states that Mr. Kerr of Glenroy, near Melbourne, who milks 500 cows a day, assured him that some of the best cows he ever milked were Aberdeen-Angus, further adding that he had never' seen one with sore teats. Mr. Beaty, Toolern, Victoria, with some twenty cows of the breed had five giving over 20 quarts a day, and one 23^2 quarts — the poorest giving 14 quarts. Again, later in Canada, we find Mr. Bridges of Surrey, Eng- land, reporting the case of a farmer who bred Aberdeen-Angus bulls to Ayrshire cows, the crosses obtained being the best milkers he ever possessed. In Argentina, dairy farmers in the vincinity of Bahia Blanca find an excellent cross for dairy purposes is obtained by using Aberdeen-Angus bulls on their Holstein cows. It is a very well known fact that the old Buchan Polls were famous in the dairy way— equal in the opinion of many who com- pared them to the Ayrshire breed. In 1805 the total products of the dairy in the county of Aberdeen was valued at $1,150,000, which was just $100,000 less than the value of the total number of cattle killed or exported for beef, and the principal amount of which was derived from the Buchan district. The Buchan cows had such a dairy fame that Sir John Sinclair, the founder of the Board of Agriculture and the developer of the famous Statistical Account of Scotland, and of the "General Views of the Agriculture of the Counties," who was therefore well posted upon the best everywhere m the United Kingdom, sent into Buchan for specimens to go into Caithness, his own county, "to fill the dairy." James Henderson, writing in 1826, said: "In the district of Buchan the cows are much famed for the dairy." It is also inter- esting to know that Sir John Macpherson Grant, grandfather of the present baronet, we presume, also sent to Buchan for specimens of 32 the breed, these being among the first, if not the first, polled cattle we can trace as existing at that headquarters of the polled. The standard work on dairying published in Britain is Pro- fessor Sheldon's "Dairy Fanning," the first edition of which ap- peared in 1879, and in it we find some very pertinent remarks re- lating to the milking qualities of the Aberdeen- Angus breed — which, first referring to the general idea of the public as to the lack of milk- ing qualities in the breed, continue thus: "There are, however, many excellent milkers among the Aberdeens, and it is safe to as- sume from these instances that the breed is not by any means des- titute of the qualities which go to make up a first-class dairy breed. The one thing needful is to cultivate, as has been done in other breeds, the development of the lacteal organs. Were they treated as the Ayrshires or the Shorthorns have been, there can be little doubt of their improving in milking properties. When regularly milked by hand they are commonly found to give a very fair quan- tity, and under this training and careful breeding in the same di- rection these polled Aberdeen cattle would, after a time, be found equal to some of the more widely established dairy breeds. Deep milking, like many another physical property or quality, is a ques- tion of breeding and training." Dr. Thos. F. Jamieson, Lecturer on Agriculture in Aberdeen University, in a lecture remarked on the neglect of the former milking qualities of the breed and added: "Valuable prizes should also be given in the proper classes for animals uniting fine sym- metry with good dairy qualifications. If the breeders would also afford some information in their printed catalogues as to the milk- ing pedigrees of animals they offer for sale, I think they would soon find that their customers would appreciate it, and that animals well come in this respect would be looked after, and would fetch high prices at their sales." It is evident that if Prof. Jamieson 's suggestion had been gen- erally adopted we would have had another story to tell of as deep interest as that concerning the fat stock shows. For instance, at the Aberdeen Show of the Highland Society in 1834, the first ter- ritorial visitation of the Society to that old home of the breed, prizes were given for the first time for butter and cheese. The prize for cured butter went to Mrs. Walker, Wester Fintray, and that for sweet-milk cheese to Mrs. Farquharson, lady of. the laird of Inver- cauld; the second in this class also going to Mrs. Walker. This was certainly a feather in the Wester Fintray cap — one that would be valued today. Had the Highland Society continued its prizes we would certainly have heard more of the dairy qualities of the breed since then. But it is this very policy of prize giving that the American Aberdeen- Angus Breeders' Association is going to inaugurate in this country, and with the institution of the classes it will promote and endow their show with quite a new interest aroused in the black-skins. It will create an entirely new opportunity — for new men, in new situations, to take a hand in the development of the 33 breed. Its whole history, indeed, proves that basically it was always what is now called a dual-purpose breed. The breeders not only bred for beef, but for milk. They had rules set down which they had followed for generations previous to 1813, the date of Skene- Keith 's famous ' ' View. ' ' These rules were : "1. For beef — the animal should be handsome, well-formed, short-legged, with a smart or keen eye, and a rough ear. "2. For milk — a small neck and head, broad in the hind quar- ter, her bag or udder lying well forward on her belly, and her teats well spread, or pretty distant from each other." These rules indicate a high idea in breeding and therefore we need not wonder at the statement that "the county of Aberdeen has so much improved its breed of black cattle. ' ' That this was real ' ' im- provement" and that the breed was thus described as "improved" at the beginning of the last century is here abundantly borne out. The 'breeders were thoroughly alive to the dual-purpose of the im- proved breed. mm ;: ~3?:* "PRIDE OF ABERDEEN 16th" (3302) AT 4 YEARS OLD Tk „ Wi t th h f r „ T ™ Heifer Calves, Pride of BaUiol and Pride of Benton. Ine Property of C. Stephenson, Balliol College Farm, Long Benton, Newcastle on Tyne. 34 LITERATURE ON THE BREED The following embraces what may be considered the standard Britishjtnd American works and articles on the breed : "Cattle and Cattle Breeders," by James McCombie, 1867. Third edition revised by James Macdonald, Secretary of the High- land and Agricultural Society, 1882. (Blackwood & Sons, Edin- burgh. ) "History of Aberdeen- Angus Cattle," by James Macdonald and James Sinclair, 1882. Second edition, 1910, revised by James Sin- clair, Editor of the Livestock Journal, London. (Vinton & Co., London.) "The Breed That Beats the Record, a Demonstration of the Properties, Prepotence, Pre-eminence and Prestige of Aberdeen- Angus Cattle," 1884, by C. R. Auld. (Aldine Co., Detroit.) Out of print. "Aberdeen- Angus Cattle, Being Notes on Fashion and an Ac- count of the Leading Families of the Breed," by Albert Pulling. (Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co., London, and William Pile, Ltd., 26-High-St., Sutton.) "Aberdeen-Angus Cattle, Their Recent History," by Jas. R. Barclay, ("Banffshire Journal," Banff.) "Famous Aberdeen- Angus Sires," by George Henry. (Trans- actions of the Highland and Agricultural Society, 1898, fifth series, Vol. 10.) "A History of the Ballindalloch Herd of Aberdeen- Angus Cat- tle," by C. Maepherson Grant. ("Banffshire Journal," Banff.) " Aberdeen- Angus Cattle on the Range," the classic exposition of the breed as Range Cattle by George Findlay. (Breeder's Gazette, 1899.) "Aberdeen- Angus Cattle and Their Crosses as Beef Producers," by Albert Pulling, Secretary, English A.-A. Association. "Report of Kansas State Board of Agriculture on Polled Cattle, 1897," by F. D. Coburn, Secretary, Topeka, Kansas. "Aberdeen- Angus Cattle, Breeding, and Management," by Qlement Stephenson, D. Sc, F. R. C. V. S. Proceedings of Arm- strong College Agricultural Student's Association, 1908-9. "Management of Aberdeen- Angus Cattle," by Clement Steph- enson, D. Sc, F. R. C. V. S. (Journal of Royal Agricultural So- ciety of England, 1894, Volume V. Third series, Part 1.) "Supremacy of Aberdeen- Angus Cattle." Results of leading fat stock shows during the past decade in Great Britain and Amer- ica. (Edited by Chas. Gray, Secretary, American Aberdeen- Angus Breeders' Association, 817 Exchange Ave., Chicago.) There are also articles on Aberdeen-Angus cattle in the follow- ing standard works : 35 Stephens' "Book of the Farm"; revised edition by James Mac- donald. (W. Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh.) "The Complete Grazier"; revised edition by Dr. W. Fream and W. E. Bear. (Crosby, Lockwood & Son, London.) Prof. Wallace's "Farm Live Stock of Great Britain." (Crosby, Lockwood & Son, London.) "Encyclopaedia of Agriculture"; edited by C. E. Green and David Young. (William Green & Sons, Edinburgh.) "Standard Cyclopaedia of Modern Agriculture"; edited by Prof. R. Patrick Wright. (Gresham Publishing Co., London.) Live Stock Handbooks — -"Cattle — Breeds and Management." (Vinton & Co., Ltd., London.) "Chronicles of Aberdeen- Angus Cattle," serially in Breeder's Gazette, 1887, by R. C. Auld. "Families of Aberdeen- Angus Cattle," serially in Breeder's Ga- zette, by John S. Goodwin. "History of the Heatherton Herd," by John S. Goodwin, 1897: second edition, 1903. "Aberdeen- Angus Cattle in Bailey's Encyclopedia of American Agriculture." (Macmillan Co., New York), by John S. Goodwin. 1905. "The Live Stock Journal Almanac" contains an annual review of the breed happenings, now written by Jas. R. Barclay, formerly by Geo. Hendry. Back numbers and bound volumes of the Breeder's Gazette for show ring, sales and special articles and news. 36 Date Due Apr27: 4WlJ Apr30'54 31 Jan7 >sn; Library Bure au Cat. No. 1137 ISjji