The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-09 00:00:00

Sale of the Duke of Hamilton's Stec'.

All who have been in the halit of attending agri-
cultural exhibitions, whether local or national, are
aware that his grace the Duke of Hamilton gene-
rally carried off first honours, both in the classes of
Ayrshire cows and Clydesdale horses. Wherever a
good animal in the two descriptions of stocks named
was to be had for love or money, it was sure to find
its way to the home farm of Hamilton Palace ; and
the late duke, under the judicious advice of his
manager, Mr. Drew,- did much to improve Ayr-
shires and Clydesdales in his own immediate neigh-
bourhood. It might be mentioned, however, that
the known excellence of the duke's stock sometimes
interfered with the prosperity of certain district
shows ; as farmefs were afraid to compete with
animals of their own rearing against those pur-
chased from first-class breeders by his grace in all
parts of the country.
It was not to be wondered at, therefore, that the
announcement that all those splendid animals were
to be brought to the hammer on Tuesday should
call together a larger number of people interested
in agriculture than ever attended before at any
public sale of the same kind in Scotland. There
were certainly not less than from 2,500 to 3,000
people present, and this notwithstanding that the
morning was wet and boisterous in the extreme, and
that (with pleasant intervals of sunshine) it con-
tinued showery throughout the day. Besides Ayr-
shires and Clydesdales, the duke had also a fancy
for Leicester sheep and for pigs—of the latter of
which he had upwards of 200, bred from the stocks
of some of the most famous breeders in England
and Scotland.

Merrytown is about two and a half miles from
Hamilton, and is situated on a beautiful eminence
overlooking the river Clyde, with its fine haughs
and richly-wooded heights ; and the eye catches,
half-hidden amid the trees, castellated mansions,
and plain but "biers"-looking farm-houses. Merry-
town, along with Riccarton Park (both together be-
ing about 600 imperial acres), have now been leased
by Mr. Drew, and Merrytown is one of the neatest
farm-steadings that we have seen for a considerable
time. The hedges round about are neatly trimmed ;
and the stacks are built and thatched in a manner
which indicates unmistakably that the manager
combines taste with his practical knowledge and
skill. Indeed for elegance in building and thatching
there is nothing comparable to them in the east
country. The stables are almost palatial in outward
appearance ; and inside the only fault that can be
found with them is that they seem unnecessarily
spacious, which in stables is certainly a failing lean-
ing to virtue's side. The byre, in which cows are
arranged in four rows—two having their heads to
the side walls, and the other two rows facing each
other, but separated by a broad flagged roadway—
is well ventilated ; and the dairy-house is clean and
commodious.

Among the many present at the sale, and taking
an active interest in it, were—The Earl of Southesk,
Sir A. Gibson-Maitland, Bart., Sir Win. Stirling-
Maxwell, Sir George and Lady Campbell, Lady
Lockhart, Lady Emily Hamilton, Mrs. Watts Rus-
sell, Major Hamilton of Dalzell, Major Finlay, &c.
The sale commenced at 9 o'clock with the pigs.
The young lots of the large breed were from six
weeks to ten weeks old, and were sold at prices
ranging from £1 to £3 88. per pair ; and some of
the six weeks' old ones made as high as £2 10s. per
pair. Young pigs of the middle and small breed
also made prices beyond the estimate of most pur-
chasers, and in the aged classes as high as £l5 was
realised for one. Altogether the pigs may be said
to have sold remarkably well.
Mr. Drew was the purchaser of all the Leicester
ewes at prices varying from £3 to £8 a head, there
being in all 77. The average price of each was
nearly £5 ss. There were four shearling rams ex-
posed. The first was bought at the Edinburgh
Ram show on the 13th Sept. last, at £44—it being
the Leicester, to which the principal prize was
awarded—and it was knocked down at £l3; another
fell for £9 ; and the third, which was the winner of
the first prize at the Alnwick competition this sea-
son, and bred by the Rev. Bosanquet, was dis-
posed of at £23. The fourth, bred by the same well-
known Border breeder, changed hands at £l2. 100
cross-bred lambs were bought from £1 to £1 4s.
each.

For the Ayrshire cows there was a keen competi-
tion. Mr. Drew bought the first one brought into
the ring—" Dandy," an animal eight years old,
which has been decorated at several competitions—
for £l5 ; and for a like sum " Pender," of similar
age, which was first favourite at Glasgow, as a
three-yr-old in 1862, passed into the hands of Mr.
Rait, Draffin. Mr. Fleming, Kilkerran, gave £l7
for the second prize winner at Hamilton four years
ago—a very good animal ; and Mr. Salmond, John-
ston, claimed the fourth lost, a third prize winner at
the Highland and Agricultural Society's show at
Stirling in 1864, for £l6. Mr. Drew bought two
three-yr olds for £l3 and £22 respectively ; and
Lord Southesk was the purchaser of " Dreghorn,"
a three-yr-old for £3O. For " Dandy," a three-yr-
old, whose beauties have never yet been disclosed to
the critical eyes of judges, ,but which beauties pro-
mise to " come out well" when the crucial test is
applied, Mr. Drew gave £35; .and the noted five-yr-
old black cow, which stood first as a two-yr-old in
milk at Hamilton in 1863, first at ICilbride in 1865,
and which was also the silver :medallist at the same
place, was bought by Mr. Mating,
Kilkerran, at
£5O. A similar sum was giveir by the agent of the
Duke of Buccleuch for a three-yr-old, which had
certainly points about her that could not be sur-
passed, although, perhaps, the
meral contour par-
took a little too much of the shorthorn. If she prove
in calf, however, the duke will have withoutdoubt
made a good bargain. Amouig the principal
buyers were the Duchess of Athole,.
Lord Southesk,
Sir A. Gibson-Maitland, Sir E. Ceat
throoke, M.P.,
Major H. Dalzell, Mr. Tennant of the Glen, Peebles-
shire; Mr. Ainslie, Costerton ; Sir G. Niontgonierh
Mr. Fleming, Kilkerran ; Mr. Salmon d, Mr. Drew,
and others. The whole of the stock in! this section
may be described as very good, and for the best ex-
hibited prices were considered high.
The two-yr-old heifers were a superior lot, and
for the best as much as £3O was realised, the buyer
of the highest priced ones being the D uke of _Bac-
clench. Their like has seldom before been seen in
Scotland. The Clydesdale horses sold were very
fine animals. There were altogether 39 animals,
and they were nearly all prize takers, or 05 descen-
dants of prize takers, in many well contest ed fields.
Here, as in the other classes, Mr. Drew was the
principal
purchaser. The highest price obtoined for
one animal, and we believe it has rarely been ex-
ceeded—" luckpennies" being left out of the ques-
tion—was £220 for a four- r- old bay mare, which
has been first in all the classes in which ;she has com-
peted at the Highland and Agricultural Society's
shows, as well as at district ones, and, it is certainly
one of the best specimens of the Clydesdale to be
found in the country. Mr. Drew became tho owner,