Counties > Renfrewshire > 1829-1842 - Fowler's commercial directory of the principal towns and villages in the upper ward of Renfrewshire > 1831-1832

190 Ndlston, BarrJiead, S^d Societies,
Milch Cow, to Allan Gilmour, Burnside — for the second best
do. Robert Millar, Over Hazles, Beith Parish — for the best
three year old quey in milk, Thomas Craig, Neilston — for the
second best do., Juhn Gilmour, Dyke — for the best two year old
quey in milk, John Gilmour, Dyke — for the second best do.,
to Archibald M'Lellan, Barshagray— for the best two year old
yield quey, William Carswell, Craig — for the second best do., to
William Carswell, Craig — for the best one year old quey, to
John Love, Threepwood, Beith Parish — for the second best do.,
to Robert Pollock, jun. Walton, Beith Parish— for the best aged
' bull, to James Lee, Stanely Green, Paisley Parish — for the second
best do. to William Stevenson, Smith hills — for the best two-year-
old bull, to John Love, Threepwood, Beith Parish — for the
second-best do. to James Stevenson, West Neilston side — for the
best one-year-old bull, to William Craig, Cowden Muir — for the
second best, to Allan Stewart, Green hill.
Societt/'s Plougking Match, — Ft-bruary was anciently a month preg-
nant with stupid and hurtful practices, particularly in the High-
lands of Scotland, where the natives seemed to look upon it as
possessed of purifying qualities. They accordingly flocked to
Dimkeld, Perth, and Crieff, to get phlebotomized, and after hav-
. ing performed the ceremony, both males and females joined in co-
pious libations of " Nappy Ale' to supply the loss of the more rud. '
dy fluid, The folly of Valentine's day — the cruelty of Fasting's
Eve — and the gambling aznusements of the Cock-pit, ought like-
wise to be obliterated, and the minds of the rising generation
directed to pursuits of a more noble and manly character. Ac-
cordingly a number of philanthropic individuals, in and around
the parish of Neilston, instituted a society, the object of which is
to direct the minds of youth to the improvements that may be ef-
fected in the noble and necessary art of agriculture. They held
their fifth annual ploughing match on the farm of Dykebar, pos-
sessed by Mr Hamilton, on the 22d Feb., when, notwithstanding
the infancy of the Society, no less than twenty-six competitors ap-
peared on the field, by half-past seven o'clock. The ground hav-
ing been marked off by the managers, and drawn for by the
• ploughmen, a keen and lively contest ensued, and so uniformly
good was the execution of the work, that the judges experienced
considerable difficulty in determining the different premiums,
which were u3 follows : —
i. To John Algie, Inchinnan, who acted as ploughman for L. Cow-
an, Barrhead.
2. To Andrew Robertson, Hillington
3. To John Algie of Cockerhill, ploughman for J. Cochrane, Glan-
derstone
4-. To David Connell, Balgray, ploughman for Wm. Craig, Barrhead