icultural Society's shows.[6] They are not pampered for
show-yard purposes, but he has bred from the best blood, and his stock
always take a good place where exhibited. In the Garioch, as a breeder
of polled cattle, Mr Stephen, Conglass, stands pre-eminent. The
Conglass stock have been handed down from father to son, and the son
has not allowed them to lose their position. Mr Stephen gained the Fat
challenge-cup by a three-year-old ox, bred to himself at Aberdeen in
1864. At Poissy he carried off the first prize for the best heifer,
beating all and sundry.

[6] Since the first edition of this book was published, Colonel
Fraser's stock has taken a leading position. At the Royal
Northern Agricultural Society's show in 1867, he gained the
Polled challenge-cup. The cup has to be gained for three
successive years by the same party, and with different animals,
before it becomes his property. I had gained it the two preceding
years, and it was now fairly within my grasp. It was my last
asking, but it was dashed from my lips, and went for the time to
Castle Fraser, instead of going to Tillyfour for ever. Colonel
Fraser likewise gained the first prize for the same cow at the
Highland Society's show at Glasgow in 1867; and again carried
first honours with a younger cow at the Highland Society's show
at Aberdeen last summer.

Mr M'Combie of Easter Skene's farm-manager has great merit by his
indefatigable exertions in bringing up the Easter Skene stock to
its high position. He is an old and respected servant of my own,
and nothing gives him so much satisfaction as to beat his old
master. Mr Hampton, manager for Castle Fraser, deserves equal
credit for his unwearied exertions in improving the Castle Fraser
stock.

In Banffshire, Mr Walker of Montbletton is the most celebrated breeder.
He has twenty breeding cows, and has carried almost every medal and
prize at the Banff and Turriff shows for polled cattle, as well as many
of the highest prizes at the Royal Northern and Highland Society's
shows.

In Morayshire we have Mr Brown, Westerton, who is well known as one of
our best judges of polled cattle. Mr Brown's herd came first
prominently into notice at the Highland Society's show at Inverness in
1856, when he carried off the highest honours for heifers, and was
second to "Hanton"--who never was beaten but once